


Not to Yield

by Springfieldbluebird



Series: Not to Yield [2]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: F/M, Force Ghost Kanan Jarrus, Heavy Angst, Kanera boy, Past Character Death, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-03-28 01:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 88,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13893456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Springfieldbluebird/pseuds/Springfieldbluebird
Summary: The war is over, and the Spectres try to find a way to move on without Kanan. This is a HEAVY piece and deals with the aftermath of the loss of Kanan. (Major Character Has Died), so be warned. There is the comfort of a Kanera child to get you through it, though, so don't be TOO mad at me.  This was written before the season finale of Rebels aired, so it's AU.  Cross-posted on Fanfiction.net





	1. Chapter 1

"I cannot rest from travel: I will drink  
Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd  
Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those  
That loved me, and alone…  
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,  
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!  
As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life  
Were all too little, and of one to me  
Little remains: but every hour is saved  
From that eternal silence, something more,  
A bringer of new things..."

From "Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

1.

"Cale!" The dark-haired man called out into the open grassland, scanning the horizon, but there was no one as far as the eye could see. "Hera, I don't see them anymore."

"Comm them. Chopper's with him." The Twi'lek stood up from her seat, datapad held loosely in her hand. A crease of worry appeared on her brow as she scanned the bright horizon, her hand shielding her eyes and the ends of her head scarf blowing in the wind.

"Chop?" He called the little droid on his comm. There was no answer. Ezra glanced to Hera, as she immediately turned and stalked into the house. Ezra tried again. "Chop, come in, now."

Hera came out with a blaster strapped to her hip. The panic in her eyes was barely held in check. "I'm going."

Chopper's voice came back over the comm at that moment.

Hera and Ezra both sagged with relief.

"Where's Spectre 7? You've got the kid, right?"

There was an affirmative to answer Ezra's question and a complaint about the comm reception. Chopper gave their location to Ezra, a set of rocks over to the left of the homestead, about eleven klicks away.

When he stopped speaking, the sound of Cale's voice could be heard in the background. "Chopper? What kind of rock is this? Oooh, Chop—did you see that Lothcat? I think it ran in here."

"Ok, thanks Chop. Back by 1800 hours ok?" Reassured at hearing her son's voice, Hera sat back down on the spine-wood bench that Ezra had built and put outside their house. Often, especially when Caleb had been younger, Hera or one of the others would sit out here while Cale played with Chopper or one of the many Loth-cats that seemed drawn to the two Force sensitives. Now, a couple of years older, the kid had begun exploring the grassland and rocks around their home. Hera hadn't liked the idea very much, but she'd agreed when Ezra had pointed out there was nothing to worry about if Chopper accompanied the boy.

"That kid," she shook her head and smiled faintly as she sat back down.

Ezra relaxed and also sat back down on the other side of the bench. This was their second year on Lothal. It had been unthinkable to split up after the war, so the whole family had come to the planet that had meant so much to them in order to set down roots. It had been the last place that Hera and Kanan had been together before he died, and both she and Ezra felt a sense of comfort here that they could find nowhere else.

"Yeah. I told him not to go more than ten klicks out. He's pushing it." Ezra ran a hand over his longer hair, which was tied back in a nerf-tail and sighed. He didn't know where they would all be, if not for Caleb; they all loved the boy, more than any of them could lay words to. He was a tangible reminder of Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Knight, and they loved the child as much as they'd loved the man, if such a thing were possible. Even now, the Spectres kept the boy close, none of them willing to trust outsiders with his safekeeping. He was family and part of the team. They'd even given him a code sign when he was born—he was Spectre 7. They showered him with love and pinned all their hopes for a future after the war on him. If the rift in their hearts could be healed, it would be Caleb who would do it.

Ezra's blue eyes turned back to the sky and scanned it, then scanned the grassland in front of him. No TIEs, no troopers, no transports. Just miles and miles of grass. To Ezra, who had grown up on Lothal and then in the chaos of war, it was soothing to watch the currents of the wind play over its waving surface. It reminded him of his childhood on Lothal, and when meditating, it was one of the things he used to calm and center himself.

"He takes after you." Hera said with a faint smile, looking up with eyes that seemed faded from the brilliant green Ezra remembered. Like Kanan's after Maul. Hera wasn't blind as Kanan had been, but it was as if the sadness or shedding of so many tears had paled her eyes until they were the color of the dry Lothal grassland.

"Him take after me? That's not very comforting." Ezra remarked, a snarky tone to his voice. "He takes after…"

"Kanan. Yeah." Her eyes went to the horizon again. "But you too. He looks up to you, Ezra."

"Well, nobody's perfect." Ezra grinned at her raised eyebrow, but then looked back at the horizon before he realized what he was still scanning for. There weren't going to be any more TIEs coming to hunt them down. That was over. So were the troopers and the assassins. They were over, but it didn't stop him from looking for them. Some nights, he would awaken out of a deep sleep to find himself standing at the front window, looking out, his blaster in his hand. Keeping watch in the dead of night. Sabine would awaken, alone in their bed and come to find him; only her soft touch on his shoulder and her steady voice could bring him back from it. What was it Zeb would say? You can take the soldier from the war, but you can never take the war from the soldier. True enough.

When the war was over, he was surprised to find that both he and Hera missed it. It had been both an excuse and distraction. There was always something to be done, an objective to accomplish, a strategy to plan. Now that there were no demands on their time, there was an opportunity to think about their loss. Now there was time to breathe, time to take a look, time to feel around the edges of the empty hole that Kanan's loss had left in their lives. Their sorrow was an open wound in the Force. They couldn't enjoy the peace they'd won because they'd lost so much and worried about losing more.

The first anniversary of Kanan's death had sent Hera into an almost catatonic state of sorrow. She wouldn't speak, she wouldn't eat…she just remained in her bunk on the Ghost, curled into a ball crying…the door locked against them all. Ezra had felt it through the Force. The only thing that had stopped him from descending into the same state had been baby Caleb. Ezra watched the child sleeping and could feel his grasping Force signature. The child felt his mother's pain and opened his blue-green eyes, tiny face twisting in sadness before he uttered a soft sob.

Ezra had wiped the tears off of his face, picked up the child and snugged Caleb up against him. "Shhh," he'd said, reaching out through the Force and projecting only his love for Kanan and by extension, the tiny child in his arms. "Don't cry, Cale." It had been the only thing that kept him from losing his mind with grief at the time.

 _You have to help Hera move on. You have to help all of them move on.  I'm counting on you_ , Kanan's voice seemed to say. _I taught my Padawan better, didn't I?_

"Caleb's been asking questions about Kanan again." Ezra brought himself back to the present. Hera's gaze shifted to him.

"What did you say to him?" She asked softly. "Just so we'll be on the same page."

"He asked me if I thought that Kanan meant to leave him behind. I told him absolutely not, of course, but I'm not sure he believed me. Then he started asking about the Force and Kanan and himself. He wanted to know about the Jedi, so I told him a little, but he's got that look in his eye like he's thinking."

Hera nodded, knowing how her son was when he became fixated on a topic. Ezra went on, "If you want me to talk to him, I don't mind. I just…I know how you feel about the Force stuff."

It was one of the few points of contention between them. Hera had always been against training Cale in the Force. Anger had shown in her eyes when Ezra had spoken of it, and reaching out with his abilities, he had sensed her hatred for Force. She loathed it. She had blamed it for stealing Kanan and leaving her to raise their child without him. It wasn't true, but he knew that it helped her to blame something…so he had let it be.

But the kid was getting older. The Force was strong in Caleb Jarrus, so strong that Ezra would find himself gazing at the kid's Force signature, unable to tear his eyes away. The kid was like a vergence in himself. The Force didn't simply flow through him, it was attracted to him. It gathered around him, as if holding him in an embrace. Sometimes Ezra had the crazy feeling that Kanan himself was watching over the boy, but…he knew that was crazy. The Jedi Order hadn't believed such things as ghosts. But still…

"No training, Ezra. You know how I feel…about that. The Force took Kanan from me. It does NOT get to take my kid too." Hera shook her head and looked away. She stood to go back inside, to retreat from this situation, but Ezra stood up and took her arm gently, holding her.

"Hera. The kid is strong with the Force. According to Kanan, most younglings started way before seven years old. He needs to have control over himself and his abilities. He needs to know how to defend himself. He needs training. Please. Trust me."

Hera looked around as if she were trapped and looking for any out. "I can't do this right now."

"Then when, Hera? We can't just educate him about everything but the Force. Let's talk about this…"

"Not. Now." She steadied herself and fixed him with angry green eyes, the way Kanan would do when Ezra was being stubborn. But Ezra was now twenty-seven and no child anymore.

"Without training you know the danger…"

"No more." She shook her head and went inside, slamming the door behind her.

Ezra sat back down and dropped his head into his hands. He was going to have to talk to Zeb and see if the older Lasat could help him make her understand. Kanan, I wish you were here, he thought gloomily.

After a time, he lifted his head, dark blue eyes scanning the horizon again, eternally vigilant. TIEs, troopers, transports…he looked for unnatural movement in the grassland and listened for the scream of a TIE overhead.

 


	2. Chapter 2

2.

Sabine and Zeb were in the speeder, making their way across the grasslands back home. The medium sized dwelling that housed the Spectres had been built into a rock outcropping that only allowed approach from the front, so it provided them with a sense of safety that made all of them sleep better at night. Sabine's eyes searched the horizon for the familiar pattern of the rocks which meant they were nearing home. They'd been gone most of the day and it was nearing the evening meal.

They'd gone into town to purchase supplies because they had a cargo run planned near the end of the week to earn some extra credits. They did one or two a month, which supplemented the credits they received for military service during the war. "Is that Chopper?" Zeb asked, squinting into the distance.

"Yeah. With Caleb. They must have been out exploring again."

The half-human, half-Twi'lek child was waving as they pulled the speeder up near the house.

Caleb ran over, his blue-green eyes bright with curiosity. "Whatdidyoubringme?" His skin was a little red from the sun, Sabine noticed, so she knew he and Chopper had to have trekked a long way today. Caleb had inherited his father's brown hair and skin tone, and his mother's lekku. He wasn't green anywhere but on his lekku in the cutest irregular stripes and splotches. Sabine couldn't help but think how many hearts he would break when he got older.

"Hmm…I got you…a bag of switches." Sabine laughed as Caleb looked inside the speeder to see. With a cry, she grabbed him to tickle his ribs. He began to laugh and twist to get away.

"Sabine! No… Stop!" His small lekku, barely visible under his longish brown hair, quivered as he giggled and wiggled to get away.

"Ugh…you're dusty, Spectre Seven." She wiped her hands on her pants, eyeing him, and making a face. "What in the world have you been doing?"

"Chopper and I found a cave! It was amazing!"

"Where?" Zeb asked, watching as Caleb pointed toward a rock outcropping some klicks away. "That's a little far, isn't it, kit?" He asked, squinting his eyes. The outcropping was the opposite direction from town, so he'd only, actually, seen it for himself a few times when they'd scouted the area before building their house. He'd had no idea there was a cave even there.

"It was fun. Ezra said it was okay if I took Chopper with me."

Zeb's brow furrowed. "Still. It'll be best if you don't go running around in any strange caves, at least until Ezra and I get a chance to check them out first." He reached over and placed a hand on the boy's head, ruffling his hair gently.

Caleb made a face at first, but leaned into Zeb for a hug, which he received. "Hey, Zeb. Does your fur ever get hot?"

"Nope." Zeb gave him one final squeeze and set him down. Chopper rolled toward the house in front of them.

"How come I don't have fur?"

"Because you're not a Lasat."

"All Lasats have fur?"

"Yeah, we do." His tone and sidelong smile said that he was well-accustomed to answering questions from the seven-year old. Zeb grabbed the storage crate from the back of the speeder, set it for levitation, and began to push it toward the house, pausing to make sure the turquoise-eyed little kit was following him.

"Is that why Ezra calls you a furball?"

Zeb laughed in response.

"Why do Lasats have fur, Zeb?"

"To keep warm in winter." He saw that Caleb wasn't satisfied yet. "It's just…how it is, kit. Just like most Twi'lek's have lekku."

"I'm different. I have brown hair AND lekku. Mom said there's not a lot of Twi'leks that look like me."

"Yeah, that's probably true." Zeb answered.

"You have your father's hair." Sabine said softly, placing a hand on Caleb's shoulder.

"Tell me about him again…" Caleb looked up at Sabine, then at the Lasat, with his tooka kit eyes. Zeb sighed, mentally shaking his head at the way he couldn't resist the kid. Both he and Sabine paused on their way to the house.

"Hey, I'll go unpack, you guys talk." Sabine said with an understanding smile at Zeb. She took the crate inside and then they were alone.

"C'mon. Let's take a seat…clean you up a little." Zeb led the dusty child to the front of the house and set him on the bench. He knelt in front of Caleb and began to brush off his shoes and pants. "What do you want to know?"

Caleb thought for long moments. The wind was blowing and his longish hair fell forward into his eyes. He ran a hand through it impatiently to push it back. "Was my father brave? Like the rest of the Jedi? I was reading about them today."

Zeb bowed his head a moment, deciding what to say before he began to speak. "Caleb. Your father was the bravest person I've ever known." Zeb said. "I've seen him fight a whole squad of troopers, by himself. He saved all our lives, more than once, and the lives of more people than anyone can count." Zeb thought once again back to the day that they'd lost him…if not for Kanan, who knew what this planet would be like now? Who knew how many would have died? As his heart squeezed with pain once more, he looked at the peculiar expression on the child's face. He was aware the kid wasn't reading his mind, but simply picking up on the emotions that were now misting his eyes and choking up his voice. Karabast, get it under control, he told himself. "I've told you before…he was my best friend. A brother, even." He fought the way his voice wanted to choke up, as his eyes searched Caleb's face.

Caleb's words were lowered to a whisper. "Zeb…did you know that all the Jedi were killed? ALL of them?" His eyes were solemn. "How did my father escape when the bad Emperor killed them? Was he scared? How old was he? I tried to figure it out, but I'm not sure what year he was born."

Woah, Zeb thought. This kid is asking all the tough questions. He found himself wishing that Hera would talk more about Kanan to the boy. It was apparent that he was ready to know more. Zeb knew how it hurt her to revisit those memories, but a child deserved to know about his father. "He was fourteen when that happened. I think he was very, very lucky, Caleb. His Jedi Master helped him, but she didn't make it. It was very hard for Kanan, and I'm sure he was scared. Anyone would have been. I think Ezra and your mom know a bit more about it than me, though. Kanan didn't talk about it much."

Caleb leaned forward avidly. "Who was my father's Jedi Master?"

Zeb stood up and sat beside Caleb. "She was a Jedi named Depa Billaba. She was very wise and kind, according to Kanan. What's up with all these questions, kit?" He laid his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I just…just wanna know. I didn't really understand what the Jedi were, until Ezra told me about them. Now I have a lot of questions. So many…" He moved his hands as if his head were exploding with questions.

"And you've been reading up." Zeb stated as a way of asking confirmation. Caleb nodded. Zeb knew that Caleb was smart; he was way ahead of most kids his age, but that still didn't mean it all made sense to him.

"Let's talk with Ezra later, kit. That okay?"

He nodded as Zeb helped him to his feet. "Thanks, Zeb. I'd ask my mom but…" He trailed off and looked uncomfortable. "It makes her feel really sad."

"Yeah, I know." Zeb said softly as he brushed the rest of the dust from the kid's shirt and hair before they entered the dwelling that they all shared.

"What happened to you, akei?" Hera was talking with Sabine, but when her son entered, she turned around, hands on her hips and took in his dusty appearance. She couldn't help a half-smile as she reached out and smoothed back an errant lock of his hair. He edged in to lean against her side.

"I was playing, Mom. I'm sorry I got dirty."

"You look like a Saarlac swallowed you, then spit you back up." Ezra grinned at him from where he was sitting in the kitchen. "Which must mean you had fun, right?"

He nodded, smiling in return. Then he became serious as his mom knelt beside him and took his hands. Her lekku were saying that she was about to tell him SOMETHING IMPORTANT, which in turn meant that he should PAY ATTENTION.

"I know you were having fun, Caleb but…" she looked him up and down, "you went too far out there. You were gone a long time."

"But Mom…how could Chopper and I pretend that we were explorers if we only explore what's right around the house?" Caleb said, rolling his eyes. "I already know everything about that part."

"Caleb…" Hera began.

"But Mom! I'm almost 8." His lekku twitched with frustration.

Hera narrowed her eyes at him and her lekku said she meant business. "Caleb. There's no telling what could be out there…loth-wolves and…" at her words, her face went pale, and she swallowed hard, "and other things. You're still a kid-my kid, so you'll do as I say. Case closed." She finished in her best "General Syndulla" voice as she glanced to Ezra. Caleb couldn't figure out what she'd said that shook everyone in the room, so he looked around, and Ezra's expression caught his eye.

"Ten klicks." Ezra said. "That's your limit, okay? Comms don't pick up near some of the larger rock formations, and I'm not exactly sure why. We don't want you getting lost out there."

"Ezra's right." Hera said. "When we thought we lost you…" she shook her head, unwilling to continue, "You almost gave us a heart attack today, love." She wrapped her arms around him and kissed her boy on the top of the head. He was so like Kanan, it frightened her. The mere thought of losing him made her feel mad with grief. She took a breath, got herself under control and looked back up at him.

There they were, the tooka eyes. Caleb looked from Hera to Ezra, looking almost like he was going to cry.

"It's okay, Caleb. Just be careful. It's just because we can't even bear to think about losing you." Ezra put a hand on Caleb's shoulder and glanced to Hera. "Let me take him back. I'll make sure he gets cleaned up before we eat." Ezra offered.

Hera nodded. "Thanks."

Ezra made sure Caleb got in the bath and had clean clothes for when he got out. About ten minutes later, Caleb came out of the bathroom, trailing his towel and wearing his sleep clothes; he entered his room, where Ezra was waiting.

"Sorry to get you ready for bed so early, but you really were a mess, kid." He said as he gently ran the towel over Caleb's brown hair.

In the Force, he could feel the kid holding himself back from saying something that was just about to burst out of him. "Cale. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Caleb nodded.

"So, what's bugging you?" Ezra asked, a half-smile on his features. He grabbed a comb and began to comb through the brown tangles, careful of the kid's lekku.

"You know when you told me that my father was a Jedi?"

Caleb had asked him, and they had talked about it several times, most recently a week ago. Ezra had been very careful, aware of Hera's disapproval, but he had to be honest. The kid had picked up a lot, just listening quietly when they'd spoken about his father throughout the last few years. And he deserved to know about Kanan, no matter how much Hera didn't want to talk about it. He'd risk Hera's wrath if it meant that the kid would learn about what an amazing person his father had been. "Yeah…?" Ezra said.

Cale lowered his voice like he was sharing a horrible secret. "The Emperor made sure they were all killed. Did you know that?"

Oh. This. Ezra felt his heart squeeze painfully. He hadn't mentioned any of that to the kid, so apparently, Caleb had done a little research of his own. Ezra nodded slowly, sitting back on his heels in Caleb's quarters. "Yes. I did." Was Cale mad because Ezra hadn't mentioned that part?

"How did he get away? Is the Empire gonna come back for us? 'Cause we're different? Is that why everyone's always scared?"

There was a creeping fear entering Caleb's Force signature, and Ezra knew where it came from. The kid had the bad luck to live with four people haunted by the past and the memory of so much loss. It made sense that he'd connected it to himself and Ezra being Force-sensitive.

Where ever had Caleb heard about the Emperor and the Jedi Purge though? Certainly not Hera. Kriff…probably the holonet. They were going to have to monitor that karking thing better. The kid was always looking up things he had questions about.

Caleb had always known he was different than other kids, but Hera had always asked that they put as little emphasis on it as possible, except for Ezra teaching him self-control, the bare minimum to keep his abilities under control. Frequently, when he had been between one and two years old, he'd had tantrums and shattered every breakable in the Ghost. But now…now he had an unusual amount of self-control for one so young, and again, Ezra was reminded of the boy's sheer strength in the Force. Try as Hera might, there was no way she was going to be able to keep her son from knowing the Force. The sooner she came to peace with that, the sooner Ezra would be able to teach him what he needed to know.

"Sit with me here." Ezra said, gesturing to the floor in front of him.

Caleb obeyed immediately, sensing that whatever was about to be said was important.

"I have a few things to say, and I need you to listen very closely. And then you never, ever repeat these things to anyone outside the Spectres, okay, Spectre Seven? This is team business and family history."

"Oh," Caleb whispered, then nodded vigorously. Team business was very serious, and any kind of rules laid down under the invocation of the Spectre's name had to be followed, whether you wanted to or not. It could be a matter of life and death. These rules had been put into place as far back as Caleb could remember.

When Ezra felt that the boy's Force signature showed he was completely focused, he began to speak. "First of all, Caleb…No one is coming for us. That time has passed, and there's no need to be afraid anymore. The Empire is gone. Your dad and your mom, Zeb, Sabine and I fought with a lot of other people so that you and others wouldn't have to be afraid of the Empire ever again." He reached out and touched the kid's knee, as he sent a gentle current of peace and safety to Caleb.

Caleb sighed, then nodded slowly, his eyes large. He had never realized that his mother, father, Zeb, Sabine and Ezra were heroes. They just were who they were, but it was becoming obvious there was more to know. So much more to know.

"So, no one's afraid that the Empire's coming back." He tried to think about how to explain the next part. "Caleb. The war was hard on all of us. When you spend a lot of time running from bad people trying to hurt you and fighting those who want to do bad things, it's hard to feel safe. Does that make sense?"

Caleb nodded, and Ezra went on. "So, that's why you sense fear from us sometimes. It's not because of you or the Empire…it's like static on a comm. It's noise…it's there, but not for any specific purpose. I hope it will fade as time goes on."

Ezra could sense that the child felt sorry for them. That wasn't exactly what he'd been going for, but it was better than the kid thinking there was some nameless horror stalking them. "But you shouldn't worry about that. Now, about your father's Master. She was a Chalactan woman named Depa Billaba. She gave her life so that Kanan could escape the Emperor's purge. Later, Kanan met Hera, Zeb and Sabine, and then found me. We owe her quite a lot."

"We owe her." Caleb echoed, nodding.

"Yeah. If not for her, I wouldn't be here, and you certainly wouldn't have been here." Ezra said softly. "Do you want to know what she looked like?"

Caleb nodded. Ezra closed his eyes and fixed the image of Kanan's master in his memory, then he opened his eyes, reached out and laid his fingertips against Caleb's temple, using a gentle thread of the Force to guide the mental picture to the child.

Caleb saw the dark haired, dark skinned woman in his mind. On her brow were two shining golden jewels and her lips were curved in a gentle smile. She was beautiful. "Wow…."

"Her likeness is in the holocron. Sometimes, I listen to her hologram speak about the Force. I've learned a lot from her."

"Can we look at her in the holocron sometime?"

"We will. But that's for later.

"Okay, this is the hardest part, probably, for you to understand. After the Emperor killed the Jedi in the Purge, he said a lot of things that were untrue about the Jedi. He tried to say they had hurt people, and that they were liars who couldn't be trusted. People believed those things, so that is why no one really knows if there are many Jedi left at all." He fixed Caleb with his eyes. "For a long time, any Jedi or Force-sensitive had to hide. It's safer now, but still…we have to be careful. There are probably a few people who still believe those words that the Emperor said. It's not that we can't tell anyone what we can do, but…I want us to be careful, until we see how things will be and you're older. But it's nothing you should worry about or be afraid over."

In the Rebellion, he and Kanan had been known as Jedi, along with Ahsoka Tano. Their team was well-respected and trusted, but things were different outside the military setting of the Rebel Alliance. It was best to lay low, Ezra had decided, a long time ago. Part of him wondered if that was because he and Kanan had been used to hiding who and what they were, but the other part of him wondered if it was something the Force was urging him to do. He had a sense that it would not always be this way.

"I think I want to be like my father. A Jedi." Caleb murmured.

Ezra nodded slowly. He'd seen the desire to be a Jedi inside of the kid from the very first time they'd talked about Kanan. "Right now, though, your job is just to be you. Be happy, learn, and grow, and we will see."

"Okay." Caleb nodded, and they both heard Zeb call: "Wrap it up fellas, food's ready."

"Good. Remember your promise, Spectre Seven. Team business, okay?"

The boy nodded, then launched himself at the broad-shouldered man in front of him. "I love you, Ezra."

"I love you too, kit." Ezra squeezed him hard and reluctantly let him go. "Now let's get something to eat."

* * *

 

After dinner, Sabine was sitting near Caleb and watching him work with the new box of art supplies she'd bought him. They were both drawing. Sabine had drawn a convor in flight, over a tiny battlefield. Caleb was drawing something very very dark, except where there were tiny bits of blue and green. He colored the rest of it black and grey and brown. It looked like rocks, except for the blue and green lights.

"That's very interesting. What is it?" Sabine asked.

"The cave." Caleb said.

"I like your use of color. What are these?" She pointed at the green and blue flecks.

"Lights in the wall."

She smiled at his imagination. "I think you're getting better. Look at your colored pencil strokes. Very even." She watched as his lekku curled with pride. "You're learning quickly."

"Cause you're a good teacher. The best, Sabine."

"Hey, thanks." She said softly, giving him a one-armed hug and turning back to her own sketch.

After a few long moments, Caleb spoke. "Sabine…what makes noise in a cave?"

"Hmmm?" She was trying to get a stand of trees to the right of the battle just so and had missed his quiet words.

"I heard some noise in the cave today."

"You mean you heard some animals when you were in the cave today?" Sabine cocked an eyebrow.

"No. More like singing."

"Did you imagine it?" She asked, looking a little worried.

He shook his head. "No…"

"Hmmm…" She tapped the pencil against her teeth. He did the same and she began to laugh lightly. Then she grew serious again. "We need to check this weird cave out sometime." Sabine murmured intending to talk to Ezra about it.

Caleb nodded excitedly, "Okay. Ezra said I can't go there alone anymore. It's too far."

"Well, he's probably right about that. But if we all go there together, it should be okay. I'll talk to him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here's Chapter 2. I got this idea a while back from a post about on Tumblr mentioning a Kanera boy and that's how this whole thing got started. Who knew we would have little Jacen coming along? I love him already.  
> Comments are appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

3

Ezra stands in the cave with the paintings, looking down at Kanan as the first rumbles of the orbital bombardment begin. "The attack on Lothal is starting," Ezra says. This time, the Imperials plan on ending it-he feels it in his bones.

Kanan had returned to camp some hours before with one of Hera's pilots and Chopper, telling them that Hera was still in Imperial custody. Then he'd gone to meditate in the cave. Now he was sitting placidly, his blind eyes staring into nothingness in the dark.

Unable to wait any longer, Ezra is standing in front of him, demanding answers. "What about Hera? What should we do?"

"'We' are not doing anything. You are going to stay here and keep your head down with Ryder and the rest of them."

Earlier, when they'd escaped the city, the Force had pushed him to go with Ryder and let Kanan find Hera alone. But Kanan hadn't come back with the pilot. "No! You need me if we're going to get Hera out."

Kanan rises to his feet from his meditation position. "I need you to do this." He puts one hand on each of Ezra's shoulders. "I have a plan to save Hera and fight the Empire. You and Ryder have to coordinate the ground defenses with the Rebel attack."

Ezra senses movement behind Kanan, in the dark. Three sets of eyes open, and regard them impassively.

"It's the Loth-wolves," he says in awe and fear. "Kanan. W-what do they want this time?"

And suddenly Kanan's shields are very, very strong. Ezra feels them not going so far as to sever their mental link, but severely limiting the amount of information he's getting.

"You're hiding something." Ezra studies his Master's face, but it is inexpressive. Kanan always did know how to hide a secret…so many years alone on the run had given him the practice he needed. Ezra grabbed his arm, squeezing it. "Don't shut me out. What is it?"

"Something that might save Lothal. And all of us." Kanan's mask is not on his face or in his hand, and he regards Ezra with his sightless eyes. Then suddenly, he moves to embrace his Padawan. "I'm proud of you, Ezra. Of the person you've become."

Another blast shakes the mountain and there are small rock falls around them. Kanan reluctantly lets his Padawan go. "No, wait," Ezra says, "This is all happening too fast."

**DUME**

The word echoes around them and in the Force.

"I have to go. Hera is still here. After…it… **happens** , you need to find her. She's still on the planet's surface."

"Where? Kanan no…you can't go…" Ezra finds himself clutching Kanan; somehow, he knows this is leading somewhere that he's not going to like. The orbital bombardment shakes the cave once more.

"Ezra. You're going to have to trust me, like I'm trusting you. Take care of Hera…Sabine and Zeb too. I'm counting on you."

"What's going to happen?" Ezra is searching Kanan's face desperately, trying to push past the shields that are hiding something from him, but they are durasteel.

"I'm not exactly sure." Kanan says, looking over his shoulder with his sightless eyes at the tall shaggy wolves behind him. "Something big. Something…amazing. You'll know when it happens."

"Be careful."

"No need, anymore." Kanan murmurs. And now Ezra is crying because he knows. This **is** a goodbye. Kanan wraps his arms around his student once more. "I'll be back, if I can."

Then he is placing a hand on the flank of the Loth-wolf in front of him and following it as the creature leads him forward. There is a blue light that shifts into a white light and the form of Ezra's master is gone.

Another boom shakes the cave and the rock falls are bigger now. Ezra finds his way to the exit. The battlefield he looks out on is dark and will be for several hours yet. The approaching forces advance menancingly, and the field is dotted with blaster bolts exchanged between both sides. Locked in combat, Rebel fighters roar past, pursued by far too many Imperials. Has the Rebellion sent everything it has here? Ezra wonders; it doesn't look like it will be enough.

"Fall back…" He can hear Ryder's Azadi's agonized command over the comm. The former governor of Lothal sounds like he's giving it all he has.

"They've cut off retreat…" someone in the ground forces says before there's an anguished scream.

Ezra sees the blast from orbit before it hits and thinks, _The Imperials don't even care enough about their own men that they're killing._ He begins making his way down the narrow path to the ground as the world stops turning.

Blaster bolts pause, sparking and hovering in mid-air. The barrage from space is frozen in mid-explosion. He is stunned. Then with a giant woosh, a green shockwave passes through everything and the blaster bolts, explosions, and AT-STs are thrown back from their targets.

Ezra feels the implosion of the Force-wave, and it rattles his very soul. He falls to his knees, moaning because at the same moment, there is the severing of the Master-Padawan bond between Kanan and himself. It is a rending that defies description. Kanan is just gone. He screams in grief.

* * *

 

The jolt of Ezra's scream awoke Sabine instantly from her sound sleep. She arose, her blaster in her hand from its place under the bed, when she realized she was in the room alone with Ezra. There were no attackers, no goons in white armor trying to kill them. Just her _cyar'ika_ across the room, huddled in one corner, knees pulled up against his chest. His ragged breathing was loud and he was staring into nothingness. Tears streamed down his face steadily.

"Ezra." When she spoke, he didn't lift his head or react. It was clear that while his body was awake, his mind was locked in a sleep state.

She threw her blaster down and approached him, hands out, palms up. "Ezra, _cyar'ika_. You're okay." When she had taken four steps and reached him, she knelt beside him. "Wake up. It's just a—"

Ezra's moan tore her heart into pieces. He cried, and his voice was a raw wound in the silence of the night as he repeated Kanan's name, as if trying to call him back to the world of the living.

"No, love. It's me. Just me." She drew close enough to pull him toward her. "Ezra. I'm so sorry. So sorry, love." Each time, his bad dreams ripped out her heart anew.

Ezra wailed, floundering in the memory that was just now beginning to fade around him. He leaned into the warmth of her body, sobbing, his grief as fresh as it ever was. "He can't be gone."

He was back with her, no longer awash in the past, and his deep blue eyes fastened to her, as if she were the only thing in the universe grounding him.

There was a soft knock against the door. "Everything okay?" Zeb murmured.

"Yeah." Sabine answered, smoothing Ezra's sweat-dampened dark hair back from his face. His eyes were more in the present now. "Just a dream." Then softer, "Thank you, Zeb."

"Anytime, kit." She could hear Zeb making his way back to his own room. It was a scenario that had played itself out many times over the years since their loss. Nightmares of blood and battle plagued them all. When they'd still been with the Rebellion, it had happened less because they'd been too busy, too exhausted, too worn and ragged to process the feelings of grief, but when the war was over, it was as if all the repressed grief began to work its way out of them. It was an infection that they were all desperately trying to heal.

Gently, she urged Ezra back to bed and settled against his side, sharing the warmth of his body against her own. Her hand rested against the warm skin of his chest until his hand found it and enfolded it.

"I'm sorry I woke you." His face was still wet with tears, his voice rough with emotion. "I saw everything again. The night he…died."

"It's okay," she murmured into the skin of his shoulder where she'd buried her face. Long moments passed where they just took comfort in each other's embrace. She worried about him and his nightmares. The grief took two forms with Ezra. Either he would jolt out of bed, screaming or fighting anyone who tried to calm him, or she would find that he'd crept out of bed like a shadow and was gone. He'd either be checking each window and door repeatedly and obsessively to make sure they were locked or she would find him at the window, staring blank-faced and unblinking at the dark with a blaster in his hand. In some ways, those were worse. He would look at her emotionlessly, until she brought him back with her soft voice and gentle touch.

Finally, he heaved a sigh. "Caleb was asking about Kanan. I guess it just…stirred up things in my head. And Hera and I... We had words today."

"About training Caleb?" Sabine asked.

"Yeah." His eyes were open, staring up at the plastered ceiling. "The kid's strong in the Force, Sabine. It seems attracted to him…the Force comes to concentrate around him like a vergence."

They'd discussed Caleb's abilities before, so Sabine was familiar with the term. "Like at the Jedi temple?"

"Yeah. But in a person." He turned in the bed and faced her, still holding her hand. "People aren't usually the center of such vergences. I don't understand it all, but I've been looking through the files on the Holocron. Whatever this means, he needs to be ready as his abilities grow, but Hera's against it. She doesn't understand…"

"We're just going to have to make her see," Sabine said, gently. "I get it, she's afraid of facing that pain again, but this is going to continue to get stronger in him the older he gets, right? Kind of like the way you got better at using the Force?"

"Yeah." Ezra nodded, turning his worried eyes to her. "All these questions about Kanan and his abilities, all of a sudden, could be a sign. I know he will be tested. Like I was. He's got to be ready."

"Then we have no choice. We need to get Zeb on board, then talk to her." Sabine's face was set.

Ezra nodded, distracted by his whirling thoughts. He didn't know how he would be able to sleep again. His heart was too heavy.

"Meditate, if it'll help." Sabine said gently. "I'll be right here."

Ezra moved to the floor, on his knees and sitting back on his heels. She watched his head incline as he placed his palms face-down on his legs and brought his body and, hopefully, his mind to rest. It was so reminiscent of Kanan, that her eyes grew misty again. The first time she'd seen him meditate with Kanan came back to her, as her tears wet her pillow. It had been under Lothal's blue sky. The Ghost had been parked on a little piece of quiet grassland, not long after Kanan had finally decided to be Ezra's teacher, and the two of them had been sitting just as Ezra was now. She'd come upon them, looking to tell them it was time for breakfast. They'd been so silent and still, that she'd hesitated, not wanting to disturb them. So, she'd watched them commune with the Force, not understanding it, but somehow appreciating the sacredness of the moment.

When exactly had she fallen in love with Ezra? He claimed to know he loved her from the first moment he'd seen her, but she'd been too closed off, and in the early days, just thought him an irritating presence she just had to endure. Her family, the academy…she'd been in too much in pain to realize what was standing right in front of front of her.

But he'd remained patient, day after day, year upon year. Not long after her training with the Darksaber, she realized that she loved him utterly. He'd long since given up the cute little lines, the innuendos, the tooka-kit eyes whenever he looked at her. He'd grown tall, strong and confident. He was the bravest person she knew, and she loved him more than battle, more than art, more than life itself. They'd married during the war in a simple ceremony, with her parents, the Ghost crew and several members of the Rebellion in attendance; however, their bond had been forged long ago. Like Kanan and Hera's, their own relationship was so strong that not even death would end the love they felt for each other.

Slowly, her eyes grew heavier and heavier as she watched the back of his head. His calming presence relaxed her enough that again, she closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.

Ezra's outward appearance gave no sign, but he'd felt the love from Sabine radiating strongly in the Force. Then, he sensed that she was falling asleep, so he gave her the last mental push that she needed to rest again.

With another deep breath, his worries fell away and there was just the Force. He reached out to it, as he often did, desperately trying to somehow sense his Master's presence in it. However, all he felt was the ebb and flow of the shining waters of the infinite Force-tide. If Kanan had rejoined the Force, his presence was no longer discernable in the flow of energy.

_I miss you._ He sent into the stream of the Force, then that, too, was washed away in its warm currents until nothing was left but peace and tranquility in the still of the night.

* * *

 

Hera had been awakened by Ezra as well, and she got to her feet quickly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. When she exited her room, she saw Zeb, who apparently was checking on Ezra. Another bad dream, then. She ducked into Caleb's room, and found her son moaning in his sleep. She sat gently on the bed and reached a hand out to stroke his hair. "Wake up, Caleb. It's just a bad dream, love."

He was a lot like Ezra-his Force-talents seemed to lie in the area of making connections with other living beings. If Ezra had a bad dream, usually Caleb did too. They would even have the same dream on occasion. He could sense other's emotions as well, not just Ezra's, so she was careful to control herself around him, as much as she could. She tried her best to project only love and safety to Caleb, and to hide away any other darker emotions.

Her hand rocked the child gently from side to side as he moaned. She leaned down and kissed his temple. "Caleb. Sweetheart."

He startled her when he sat straight up with a gasp. Then he launched himself at Hera, burying his face against her as he began to cry.

"Sshhhh, sweet love," she murmured into his hair, holding him tight with one hand and rubbing small circles on his back with the other. Her sleep shirt became wet with his tears, as she patiently and lovingly calmed him. "Just a bad dream, Caleb. That's all." After a long time, Caleb's sobs slowed.

There were two ways this could go. He would fall back asleep with her arms around him, or he would want to talk about it. This time it seemed it was the first one. She saw his heavy eyelids and settled him back in the bed.

"No…don't. Don't leave me." He clutched at her hand, so she stretched out beside him on her side.

"I'm not leaving. Promise." She kissed the side of his head and placed hers beside his on the pillow. "Just rest, sweetheart. Everything'll be okay in the morning."

"Really?"

"Really," she answered softly.

"Ezra misses him. A lot." He gave her a slow blink as he began to grow sleepy.

She didn't have to ask who "him" was. "I know, love. We all do." She stroked his hair softly. Her heart felt like it was going to crack, but she held it together with her love for Caleb. Tears were not an option. He needed her to be strong.

"Love you, Mommy." His voice was thick with sleep, and he buried his face against her shoulder.

"I love you too, Caleb." She whispered, placing a kiss on his brow and taking comfort in his presence, as much as he took comfort in hers.

* * *

 

It had been three days since his first visit to the cave.

Caleb had planned on keeping his promise. He really had.

But that was before he heard the voice calling his name, from the outcropping of twisted rocks. He tried to ignore it and kept doggedly marching through the grassland toward the north, parallel to the forbidden rocks at the ten-klick line, but then he heard it again and knew what he had to do. The curiosity was killing him.

Powering Chopper down had probably been a bad thing. The droid was likely to be mad for a while, but Caleb couldn't afford the astromech telling Ezra or Hera where he was headed. He certainly would get in trouble for it later because Chopper would tell on him, but it was too late to take it back now.

Chopper had complained with a surprised squawk before he shut off. "Sorry, Chop." He'd murmured, as he turned back toward the rocks. Just a quick look. Before anyone knew he was gone, he'd be back.

As the boy climbed the narrow path that lead up at a steep angle to the cave, he fell twice. Once, he just slipped a little, but the second time, he'd ripped the knee of his pants on a rock. He got to a flatter piece of ground and knelt to examine the cut on his knee. It stung a little, but he'd be okay. When he looked up from the wound, he saw a white Loth-cat, sitting on top of a boulder.

"Hi." He called.

The cat replied with a meow. It blinked at him.

"Never seen a white Loth-cat before." The cat blinked at him slowly, then hopped down from the boulder. It began following the path, ahead of him, then it stopped and looked over its shoulder at him.

"You waiting for me?" Caleb stood up and began to follow the tooka, who began walking again as soon as he did.

They continued up the path until they reached the cave entrance. The cat stopped when Caleb did. He looked into the blackness and could see nothing. "You want me to go in there?"

As an answer, the cat turned and walked into the black.

Caleb followed and the tiny glow of green and blue lights greeted him. He was as delighted as he'd been the first time he'd gone into the cave. The lights were some sort of crystals, embedded in the walls of the cave.

As his eyes adjusted to the light, he became aware of a big white shape in front of him, walking out of the dark. Two great yellow eyes reflected light from the entrance back at the boy, who was staring at him open-mouthed.

It was a Loth-wolf.

* * *

 

Zeb climbed up the ramp into the Ghost and listened a moment. Then he heard it. A thump and a metallic clink.

"Karking bastard. Come on you son of a bantha!"

Another thump and a growl. Zeb heard what he assumed to be a kick to the Ghost's engine.

"Hera?" He climbed up the ladder and headed that way.

"Yeah, Zeb." She came out from the engine compartment, wiping her hands on her coveralls.

Zeb held up the bottle of Twi'lek liquor. "You've been out here all day. Time for a break."

"I'm trying to tune up the Ghost for our job..."

"No excuses. Come on." Zeb came over, took her by the shoulder and led her into the galley. She sat down at the Dejarik table while Zeb grabbed a couple of glasses from the kitchen.

"Where's Ezra and Sabine?" she asked warily.

"Ezra and Sabine are going to make dinner. I'm sure Caleb is making his way back home right now, so nothing to worry about." Zeb poured her half a glass and did the same with himself.

Hera took a few swallows of the drink and sat back in the booth. "So, they wanted you to convince me to let Ezra train Caleb, huh?"

Zeb chuckled. "Wanted me to sort of smooth things over." He sipped the green liquid in the glass carefully. He wasn't a lightweight when it came to alcohol, but Twi'lek spirits were notoriously strong, so he wanted to take it easy, at least until he was sure how this was gonna go.

Hera sighed, toying with her Harris wrench on the table. "I'm not angry with them." She thought a moment, then sat back and lifted her glass to look at the green liquid inside. Then she threw back the rest of the shot and asked for another. Zeb obliged. "I'm really not."

"Really? Kark, I'd like to see your mean face, then." Zeb teased, then became serious. "You know, Ezra just wants to help Caleb realize his potential."

"Okay. Let me explain this to you as well." Hera said, taking another large mouthful and glad for the burn in her stomach. It fueled her anger. "My **son** is not going to be a fighter or a revolutionary. He's a **kid**. He needs to be doing just that: **being a** **kid**. Not trying to live up to the legacy of his father or his mother."

"Okay…" Zeb said, thinking this was good. She was talking and that was a step in the right direction. He knew how stubborn she could be when she made up her mind about something. "Is that why you won't talk about Kanan with him? You're afraid he'll try to be like his father?"

Her harsh laugh cut Zeb off. "Yeah, that's it. Among other things."

"But he IS like his father. He's got the ability to use the Force. I can't say I understand the karking thing, but Ezra says that he's strong. Really strong in the Force…even more than Kanan was."

Hera grabbed the bottle and poured until her glass was completely full. She drank it down, grimacing. Then she collapsed back in her seat.

"Kriff, Hera. Take it easy." Zeb said, sliding over to sit beside her. Something was happening. He could feel the change in her manner.

"I don't want to lose him." Hera stared down at her hands in her lap as she admitted her deepest fear. "I think…" Her voice was trembling as she unlocked the words from her chest. "I think if I knew why or how Kanan died…I would feel better. But the way it is…I can't…I can't trust it—the Force." Her voice was starting to thicken as the alcohol took hold. "It stole him away from me, Zeb." She reached for the bottle again to pour another drink. "I can't trust it with my child. Caleb…he's all that I have left from Kanan." Tears began to slide down her face. It was the first time Zeb had seen her cry in a long time, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "If I lose him, I'll…" She shook her head, not wanting to contemplate it.

"I understand." Zeb murmured as he pulled her against him. She went willingly, her body going limp against him as the tears began to push their way out. "It's okay, Hera. Let it out."

"Kanan wanted to get out of the Rebellion. Last time I saw him on Lothal, he asked me…he asked me if I had thought about us…after the war was over. And I hadn't…Zeb. He was trying to plan for the future and I…I couldn't see past the stupid war. And…and…he never wanted to join in the first pl…place, but h-he d-did it f-for…m…"

She began to cry harder, in huge wracking sobs that shook her whole being.

"Oh…hey. Hey there Hera, no... Kanan never did anything he didn't want to do. He would have done anything to be near you, and Ezra and Sabine. He wanted to be with us." Zeb felt her tears soaking his shoulder, and it only made him hold her more tightly. "You can't blame yourself for this…he wouldn't want that."

She cried and cried until her sobs slowed into gasps, and then deep breaths. It was as if the spring of tension inside her had uncoiled. Finally, she sat back, wiping her face. "Kriff. Sorry."

"Nah. You needed that. I'm always here for you, you know."

She glanced at him sidelong, with a tired smile that looked more like her than he'd seen in a long time. "Yeah." She took another long gulp from her glass and tears began to slide down her cheeks again. "I feel like I've lost my way." Her voice was hoarse from the crying.

"I think we all do." Zeb said. "I feel like we finally have a chance to breathe. To think, to reflect and…to grieve." He grabbed his own glass and downed the contents. "I don't have the answers, Hera. I can't promise you that I know what is in store for Caleb. But I know this. He has to be who he is going to be. For him, the Force is like your ability to fly. Could you just stop doing that?" He eyed her.

"No…" she admitted.

"How can you ask that kid to suppress a part of himself? His birthright from his father?"

She shook her head. "I'm not…I just…"

"Kid's safety could depend on his ability to protect himself." Zeb said, feeling the alcohol creeping up on him as well. "Kriff, Hera. We can't leave him defenseless. And the dark side…you know the danger there…"

Hera searched his face.

"Ezra can guide him on the right path. Who else would you trust with Caleb? The kit's been by his side since he was born. If you can't trust the Force, trust Ezra. He'll never let the kit come to harm."

She nodded slowly, seeing things in a slightly different way. "I'll try, but no promises."

Zeb took her hand and squeezed it. "That's all anyone can ask." Zeb thought this might be the breakthrough they'd been trying to make with Hera for a long time. It had been hard to watch the competent, confident pilot fall apart without Kanan. He truly had been everything to her. "I know it's scary, but we've got to try."

"I'll talk to Ezra later," Hera sat back again, with a sigh, "when I can walk again."

Zeb took his last drink and topped off his and Hera's glass with the remaining shot or two in the bottle. He lifted his cup. "To the lost." It had been a frequent toast from their days in the Rebellion. Hardly anyone had gone through it without losing a comrade, so they'd had lots of opportunities to indulge in the familiar toast.

She lifted her glass and met Zeb's eyes. "To the lost," she agreed, turning up her glass.

* * *

 

Caleb didn't move as the wolf came forward. Was it better to stay still? Running would only make it follow him, right? He bit his lip. Maybe playing dead would be a better strategy?

He trembled as the Loth-wolf came close to him and took a long sniff. Then, it spoke.

It said a word that sounded like **DOOM**.

Caleb jumped at the sound of the wolf's growl, not sure what he meant by the word. "Woah…take it easy," he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut and holding up his hands defensively, sure he was about to die.

Then he felt the bump of a wet nose against his palm. When he opened his eyes, he saw that the Wolf had come close and put his nose against his outstretched hand. Apparently, it was friendly, or it just wanted to smell him again before it ate him.

He was shaking as he reached out tentatively and stroked the ridges on the wolf's nose. It blinked slowly at him, then its eyes held Caleb's own steadily.

**COME WITH ME**

Caleb shook his head. "Where? I'm already going to be in so much trouble…"

The wolf snorted, as if it had disdain for what he'd said, his warm breath hitting Caleb's face. It nudged him again, so hard it almost tipped him over.

**COME**

It turned and began walking further into the cave. Then it stopped, turned and looked at him over its shoulder.

Caleb had no choice except to follow. But the Loth-wolf stayed stationary, waiting for something. It huffed at him again, and his blue-green eyes searched the yellow eyes of the creature.

**HOLD ON**

He felt the urge from the creature, and he put a hand against the wolf's fur, twining his fingers into it. It proceeded at that point, and Caleb followed it into the blue-white light.

* * *

 

"Chop, come in. Tell Cale that it's time to come back for dinner." Ezra hit his comm and heard only static. "Chopper?" Ezra called again, anxiety layering his voice. It made Sabine look up in concern from where she was adding vegetables to the soup. He called Caleb once more. "Spectre seven, come in. Come in, now!" There was no answer.

"Ezra?" Sabine's eyebrow was raised.

"It's probably nothing, but if that kid has gone beyond the line, I swear…" Ezra vanished into their bedroom, then came out strapping on a blaster and his lightsaber.

Sabine turned down the soup. "I'm coming." She ran into the bedroom as well and returned with her own weapons.

Ezra extended a hand to her. "Let's go."

They took the speeder in the same direction Ezra had seen Caleb heading in. Sabine had the electrobinoculars and was scanning the horizon, her hair whipping in the wind. "I see Chopper," she called, pointing the way.

They rode up to the droid, who was uncharacteristically silent and still.

Ezra's stomach lurched as he jumped out. "He's been deactivated."

He hit the switch for the droid, and Chopper immediately started squawking, waving his manipulators.

"Chop. What happened?"

Sabine raised an eyebrow at Ezra as the little droid recounted how Caleb had thought he heard something, then as Chopper had turned to scan the area, he'd been switched off. Chopper felt like the kid had headed toward the ten-klick line.

"Oh Ezra. He told me about that cave. He said he heard something in there. Something like singing...Kark! I should have…"

Ezra waved a hand as if it was no matter, but his eyes were locked on the horizon. "No. This had nothing to do with you. He would have gone whether you'd told me or not." He moved from the horizon and focused his whole attention on the twisted rocks that were straight ahead, using the Force to gather information.

He could feel the pulse of the Force beating within those rocks.

"There. Let's go." He hopped back in the speeder with her. They paused a moment while Chopper joined them.

In a few moments they'd reached the destination. The spires of the rocks towered above them, like a mountain and a steep path led up between them. "Up here." Ezra leaped from the speeder and took a few steps toward the path. "Chopper. Stay down here. If you don't hear from us by dark, alert Hera. But not before."

Chopper said they should go ahead and alert Hera and Zeb so they could help search.

Ezra turned. "No. We'll find him. Don't bother her yet, Chop. She's had a tough day."

Chopper reluctantly agreed and watched as Ezra and Sabine made their way into the rocks.

Sabine watched as Ezra held out a hand, obviously trying to sense the flow of the Force. "What is it?" she asked after a moment.

"The Force." He turned to her. "It feels strange here." If it had been like this before, he'd never sensed it. Now, he could feel the Force gathering here. It felt exactly like the Jedi Temple vergence.

They reached the top of the path and saw the cave's dark entrance. Ezra scanned the ground and saw small footprints that led into the cave. He gestured, "He went in here."

As they entered the cave, Ezra pulled his lightsaber and used it to light the way. A green glow lit the cave, and as it did, the crystals in the walls glittered.

"He drew this cave." Sabine murmured to herself, touching the crystals in the walls.

Suddenly, there was a growling that made Ezra pause. He moved Sabine behind him as he turned, holding his lightsaber in a guard position.

Two Loth-wolves barred the way ahead. Their yellow eyes gleamed as the Force, both Dark and Light, swirled around them.

"We're here for Caleb." Ezra said, holding the gaze of the nearest one. Sabine's hand moved to her blaster.

Both wolves sat down on their haunches, but were still showing their teeth. Ezra closed his eyes, extended his hand and silently tried to connect with them.

_Where is the child?_

The two wolves sat blinking at him, a low growl coming from them. Ezra tried again.

_He is my kindred._

**WAIT** The wolf's voice was like thunder.

"FINE." Ezra said through clenched teeth; he didn't like this at all. Sabine took his hand and squeezed it.

* * *

 

The chamber the wolf brought him to was large. Caleb had the feeling that there were tons and tons of rock over his head; that they were deep underground somewhere else on Lothal.

And it was cold. The rock radiated a stone chill that seemed to freeze the air.

He turned around, examining the room, which was roughly circular in shape. When he turned back to the Loth-wolf, it had vanished; he was alone again.

He walked forward, into the center of the dark chamber. Where was this? He was scared…the darkness seemed alive, like the dread of a nameless fear crawling closer and closer. It was like some of Ezra's dreams that he couldn't block out. Many of the dreams were of Ezra, fighting for his life. Sometimes he would see Ezra fighting a scary creature with a pale face and a red blade. The pale-faced creature had bloody tattoos on its cheeks and scary yellow eyes. Then other times he would see Ezra facing a tall monster, clothed in black with a red lightsaber. The one that scared Ezra most, was his dream about a Zabrak, in black robes with a sort of lightsaber staff. Sometimes Kanan would be there, sometimes not. The red and black creature was fearsome, and Ezra always woke up screaming when he dreamed about him.

"H…hello?" He whispered, into the blackness…not knowing what was expected of him.

Out of the dark came a voice. "Where is Bridger, boy?"

"Wh…what?"

"Bridger. Ezra Bridger." A red and black striped face appeared out of the dark. It was the Zabrak, his face twisted cruelly in a smirk. "I know you know where he is…tell me and I'll let you live."

Caleb shook his head. "You're just a bad dream…" he cried.

"Can a dream do this?" The red and black creature moved his hand and Caleb flew back into the wall and stayed there, stuck. "I think not."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: When I posted this on ff.net originally, I got a lot of flack about the hair/lekku thing, so I guess I'll do a little explaining here. Here was my dilemma: I wanted to give Caleb distinctive characteristics from both parents and make him distinctive-looking. In my head, I couldn't see him with hair and green like his mom (I love Hera being green, I just couldn't see Caleb that way). It wasn't working for me. I couldn't see him without hair...because then he would look like Cham or something (and that wasn't working for me). So I combined the two. Wookiepedia DOES mention some male Twi'leks that had body hair...so there's my inspiration.
> 
> Thanks for commenting. I'm excited to share this story with you guys!!


	4. Chapter 4

4

Caleb's head had hit so hard against the stone wall that the world greyed out a moment. When he came to, the Zabrak's face was right near his own. The thing's breath stank like rotten meat. "I will leave your mother, Wren and the Lasat alive. I only want Bridger."

"No!" Caleb screamed and the Zabrak's head snapped back as if he had been slapped. He let go of Caleb abruptly and the child slid to the ground.

The creature backed up, in pain, holding his head. He seemed to recover himself and snarled, "Fine. You will lose everyone you love, brat! I will kill them all slowly…you will watch them bleed out on the ground."

The Zabrak moved his hand again, and Caleb found himself thown at least fifteen feet across the room. He landed badly, his hurt knee scraping along the floor. He struggled to his feet as the creature circled him and neared.

"Give in, boy. It's a mistake to think you can beat me. Save yourself."

Caleb felt dizzy from the head injury and off balance. He could feel the blood trickling down his leg and he wondered if he was going to die. Part of him wanted to curl up and cry because he was scared, but another part of him told him to fight back. "I'm a…"

The creature laughed. "Who? A stupid child?"

"A Spectre! We don't give in!"

The creature growled and came for him. Caleb yelled, throwing his hand palm out, and it was as if an invisible force slammed into the Zabrak. He flew backwards, much the same as Caleb had done, but instead of landing on the floor, he smacked against the wall with a bone crunching sound, then he fell in a heap.

Caleb remained standing where he was, shuddering in the aftermath. His head hurt, and he raised a hand to the back of his bleeding scalp as he took a few tentative steps forward. The creature's black robes were puddled on the floor, but they looked flatter than they should have been. Caleb slowly made his way closer and realized there was nothing else there BUT the black robes.

What had happened? Where had the nightmare creature gone?

He looked down at his hand and saw blood on it. He wanted to cry, but was too afraid to. He glanced around, nervously trying to see if there was anyone else about to spring out of the darkness and noticed a blue glow, across the room, that reminded him of the little lights in the other cave. He made his way toward them, feeling safer in their light.

There didn't seem to be anything else in the cave with him. It was quiet…the only sound he heard was the drip of water somewhere in the darkness. Then the singing sound began.

He forgot his fear of a few moments ago and drew closer to the wall, his eyes examining the deep blue-green glow of a particular crystal. He touched the surface with his fingers and the light and warmth intensified under his touch. The crystal seemed to vibrate under his fingers. "Wow," he breathed.

"The kyber crystal chooses its user. This one has chosen you, youngling." The voice came from behind him. He gasped and turned quickly to see a humanoid figure, wearing a cloak of an indeterminate color in the dim lighting. The hood covered the head of the person, casting his face in shadow.

"Wh…who are you?" Caleb began backing up, but could only take two steps before he hit the stone wall. When he did, the crystal fell into his hand. He clutched it reflexively.

"Don't be afraid. You were tested, child. You did not turn traitor to save yourself, so the Force has found your heart as pure as that kyber crystal." The figure saw the child look around nervously. "Do not fear. The danger is past, Caleb Jarrus."

"I d-don't un…understand."

The figure pulled back the hood that shadowed his face, and in the blue light cast by his crystal and the sudden glowing of others in the cave, Caleb saw the face of the man speaking with him. It was Kanan Jarrus, his father. He had seen holos of the Jedi before; he even had one in his room. It was probably his most prized possession. Now, the man was standing in front of him, but he was different. The burn scar across his face was completely gone, and instead of the milky eyes that Caleb knew so well, he had bright blue-green irises that examined him with amusement and affection. The boy was too stunned to speak.

"Perhaps I can answer some of your questions, Caleb, but first…" The brown-haired man reached out and cupped his hand over the back of Caleb's head, where the bump and cut in his scalp was. He murmured a few words, and the pain lessened to the point Caleb didn't feel it anymore. He knelt beside Caleb and did the same to his cut knee.

Caleb's eyes were huge. "You're my…I've seen a holo of you…You died…" He was trembling with delayed fear and amazement.

The man said nothing, but smiled slightly, then placed a hand on each of the boy's shoulders. Caleb could feel a sensation of warmth and calm flowing through him and his mind quieted enough so that he could speak coherently again. It was as if the world had slowed down just for the two of them.

"You're my father?" Caleb searched the man's face. They had the same eyes.

"Yes, Caleb, I am."

"But...you died. Ezra told me…"

The man reached up and placed a hand gently on the top of Caleb's head. "I passed from the world of the living into the Force. This place where we are now is extremely strong with the Force, so that I can appear to you now, at this moment, in this way." His hand slipped back to Caleb's shoulder.

"You mean…you're not coming back…this is just for now." Caleb frowned.

"Yes, youngling." Caleb could feel a sorrow coming from the Jedi as they held each other's gaze. "There is nothing I want more than to come back, but that time has passed for me."

"I'm sorry." The boy stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Kanan. Even with his eyes closed, he could sense the love between them like a brilliant light. "I wish you could come back. Everyone misses you so much."

Kanan returned the embrace. "As I miss all of you. But what is, is what must be," he murmured, laying a kiss on top of the child's head. Finally, he let Caleb go. "I have many things to say to you, my child. You are strong with the light side of the Force, as you already know. The Force has tested you and found you ready to begin on your path."

"That was a test…" It was more a statement than a question, as Caleb realized it hadn't been real. "My path? You mean being a Jedi?"

"The Jedi Order is gone, but yes, the Light remains, Caleb. If you align yourself with the Light, I sense that you can do much good. But keep in mind, where there is light…there is also darkness. There must be a balance between the two. Far from now, a great Darkness threatens that will require a great Light to balance it, and you must be ready. Ezra will train you in the ways of the Force. You will learn as much from him as you could have ever learned from me."

Caleb struggled to say what was in his heart. "I wish you could teach me." He said finally, tears slipping down his face.

Kanan reached out to gently wipe the tears away. "So do I, but it can't be. Decisions were made for the greater good. Steps were taken down a path that there is no turning back from. I see all paths now, and I'll be with you again, in the Force and when you have the greatest need. You have so much to accomplish." Kanan searched his son's face for understanding.

"O-okay." Caleb nodded. "B-but Mom…she doesn't want me to use the Force. She d-doesn't want Ezra to teach me…"

Kanan smiled and smoothed back his child's hair. "Everything will be alright. Just give Hera time."

"I'll…I'll try to do my best."

Kanan laid a hand on the top of Caleb's head again. "Do or do not. There is no try. Say that you will."

"O-okay. I will."

Kanan smiled and rose to his full height. Caleb's eyes went wide in worry. "Don't leave yet," Caleb mumbled against the Jedi's robes as he attached himself to the tall Jedi's side in a fierce hug. "I love you."

Kanan knelt and wrapped his arms around his child for the second and last time in Caleb's lifetime. "I love you, my son. I will always be with you, until your very last day and beyond. I'll never be far away."

* * *

 

"I told Chopper." Sabine came back into the cave where the Loth-wolves waited. It was dark outside and she'd found the light they kept in the speeder for such times.

"Good. Hera does not need to lose her shit right now." Ezra had conveyed his order to keep Chopper from comming for help. But Hera had to be returning soon from the Ghost. What would she do if they weren't there to greet her? Was an empty house worse than telling her her son was in a cave guarded by Loth-wolves? The same ones she blamed for taking Kanan? It was enough to drive someone karking base-delta-zero.

Ezra ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Then he saw the wolves stand up at the same time. He extended his hand, first two fingers raised as he tried to connect with them. I need to know the child is okay. Please!

And almost as if on cue, the largest of the wolves returned from somewhere else in the cave, as if materializing out of the dark. The white wolf carried an unconscious Caleb like a Loth-wolf cub, holding him gingerly by the scruff of his jacket. Gently, he laid the child down in front of Ezra and Sabine. They were frantically checking him over when Sabine gasped. "Kriff! There's blood on his clothes."

Ezra could feel Caleb in the Force, resting peacefully asleep; they tried the best they could to check him over for wounds, but it was dark and they couldn't see anything. "Let's get him out to the speeder," Ezra said, glancing up at the three wolves who were vanishing into the darkness. He was just about to pick Caleb up when the boy moved and sat up.

"Wh…why…why is it so dark?"

Ezra could have cried when he heard Caleb's voice. "Force, Cale!" He said, as he clutched the child to him. "We've gotta get home before your mom kills the three of us."

Sabine was holding the light near Caleb so she could see his face. "You okay?"

"I…I think so. Did you see my father?"

Ezra met Sabine's gaze. She didn't like the unease she saw there.

"Caleb. Sweetheart." Sabine began. "We need to get you home. Then we can talk about everything else, okay? Your mom's gonna be so upset."

"I got you." Ezra swept the kid up in his arms and carried him to the speeder. On the way home, Sabine sat in the back with Caleb and Chopper, who was still complaining about being shut off.

"Shut it, bucket of bolts, or we're both gonna be going for the scrap heap." Sabine narrowed her eyes at Chopper and he squawked once and was quiet.

They arrived home, but found the house empty and quiet. There were lights on in the Ghost, so Ezra shrugged. "They're still there, I guess. Must have been one hell of a conversation." He and Sabine had known that Zeb was having "a talk" with Hera. If he couldn't get through to her about Caleb's training, then nobody could.

"Don't look a gift nerf in the mouth." Sabine said, getting out of the speeder on one side, while Ezra hauled Caleb out on the other.

"What does that mean?" Caleb asked.

"It means we got lucky, Cale. Come on."

They got the child inside the house and to the fresher. It was only then, when Ezra placed Caleb on the on the counter, that they got a good look at him. Ezra saw blood streaking the boy's hair and there were drops of red, bright against a green splotch on his lekku. Ezra began to wipe the blood away gently with a warm cloth, trying to see where he was hurt. "You hit your head, didn't you, buddy?" He asked as Sabine handed Ezra a small container of bacta.

"Yeah. The creature threw me into the wall and it hurt. I felt kinda sick for a while."

"The Loth-wolf threw you into a wall?" Ezra's eyes were wide as he glanced at Sabine.

"No…no…the red and black creature. With the horns…"

Ezra's reaction was immediate. He felt like he was going to pass out; he actually dropped the jar of bacta he was holding and clutched the counter. After a moment, his legs wouldn't hold him anymore and he collapsed down to the floor, in a squat with his back against the wall. He was struggling to breathe; it felt like a bantha was standing on his chest. His rational mind told him that it couldn't possibly be Maul, after all this time, but the fear whispered in his mind that Maul was back to take everyone he loved. He was paralyzed with fear. Time began to slow down and thicken around him.

As Ezra unraveled in front of her, Sabine immediately dropped to his level and grabbed his hand. "Ezra, love. Stay focused with me, okay?"

Ezra was fighting for breath as he scanned Sabine's face. "Maul… We…gotta…we…" He reached down for his lightsaber and it flew into his hand, but he was too focused on trying to breathe instead of taking a protective guard position over them. He tried to center himself in the Force, but it was sliding out of his grasp in his panic.

"No…no…he's gone!" Caleb shook his head. "It's okay…that's what he said. He said there was nothing to be worried about…"

"What do you mean, Caleb?" She was rubbing Ezra's shoulder in small circles. Sweat lined his distressed face and it was clear that while he could hear her, he wasn't comprehending the words in his terror.

"The Zabrak attacked me. I had to fight him. It was a test, my father said, and I passed. Then the bad man disappeared."

What the kriff was happening? Sabine wondered. Was he talking about Kanan?

"Kanan? Kanan told you that Maul…the Zabrak was gone?"

Caleb nodded. "He said don't worry anymore."

"Okay, sweetheart." It made Sabine feel just a little better, but not much, because how could he talk to Kanan? She ignored it for now and placed her forehead against Ezra's, looking him directly in the eyes. "Stay with me, Ezra. Come on, just breathe. Slow and easy. We're okay. We're safe for the moment." Ezra's first panic attack had been on base, when they evacuated Hoth, but he'd had more since then. The Spectres had kept it off of Ezra's fitness evals, and Ezra had usually been able to handle most of the situations with Jedi mindfulness techniques or Sabine's help.

Ezra focused on Sabine's deep brown eyes and forced himself to inhale and exhale slowly.

"That's good. Keep going." Sabine encouraged him. He continued for a couple of minutes and found his anxiety had dropped to a painful, but bearable level.

When Ezra had pushed back the panic enough, he closed his eyes and grasped the Force, extending his senses as far out as he could. Any disturbances would shine as bright as a supernova with all the effort he was putting in, but there was nothing. He could sense Hera and Zeb in the Ghost and they were okay. Nowhere could he sense Maul's Force signature.

"We're okay." He sighed, body shaking. "He's not around."

"I'm sorry." Caleb wavered, tears shining in his eyes. "I didn't mean to scare anyone."

Ezra swallowed down his anxiety and got to his feet, his body still trembling. "No. It's okay, Caleb." He closed his eyes for a minute, centering himself, and checking one more time to make sure they were safe.

Sabine turned back to Caleb, checking the bloody area on his scalp for a wound. There was only a tiny white mark, like a healed scar, underneath all the blood. "You're not hurt…" she said, leaning back to look into Caleb's eyes.

"I was. But he made it go away."

"Kanan?"

Caleb nodded. Sabine shared a look with Ezra, then turned to the boy's knee. His pants were ripped and he'd obviously hurt his leg. There was a lot of blood turning his pants dark. "How did this happen?" She began to wipe away the blood on Caleb's skin to find the same thing she'd found on Caleb's scalp: the marks of a long-healed wound that hadn't been there before.

"I fell climbing up to the cave, but then I got hurt again while I was fighting the red and black person…" Caleb's eyes filled with tears again. "I'm sorry I broke my promise. I didn't want to but…"

Ezra reached up and placed a hand on the boy's head, then slid it down to his shoulder. "That doesn't matter, you hear me? I'm not angry. Not at all." Ezra enfolded Caleb in a hug. When he let the kid go, he pulled him down off the counter and set him on the floor. "Let's go change clothes. Your mom's gonna be back and she'll probably be calmer if you're not all bloody. Then you can tell us about what happened, okay?" Ezra was acting a lot calmer than he felt, but it was easy to do it for Caleb. They headed off to his room, Sabine following.

"Can you tell us what happened? Start from the beginning." Ezra said as he got out clean pajamas for the boy.

"I was out with Chopper playing…and I heard someone calling my name. I tried to ignore it, but it didn't stop. I just had to know what it was." He hung his head. "I knew I wasn't supposed to-that it was past the line-but I couldn't help it."

"So, what happened next?" Sabine urged.

"I went back to the cave. There was a white Loth-cat and a Loth-wolf. The wolf told me to go with him, so I did. We went through this light…Then I was in this room. It was round. And that's when…uh…" He looked up at Ezra with worry in his face.

"Go ahead." Sabine encouraged.

"That's when I saw the red and black creature. With the horns. He attacked me. He said he wanted me to tell him where you were," here he looked at Ezra, "and…and he'd let everyone live. I said no. We were fighting, then I…I 'pushed' him…somehow. I don't know how, but I yelled and he flew back, then he disappeared."

"What do you mean? Maul disappeared?" Ezra asked.

"He was gone. There were just his clothes left on the ground. That's when I saw my father and he said this was mine." Caleb held out his hand and there was a glowing blue crystal on it.

"A kyber-crystal," Ezra leaned forward, sharing a look with Sabine.

"He said it chose me. Is it alive?"

"Some people believe that kybers are sentient." Ezra closed Caleb's hand over it. "Now that it's yours, it's your job to keep it safe."

"My father said I got it because I passed the test."

"You actually saw and spoke with Kanan?" Ezra asked softly, laying a hand on Caleb's shoulder.

He nodded.

Ezra looked at Sabine. "It was traditional for many Jedi younglings to go to Ilum to get their crystals. There, they faced a test of character called The Gathering. The Force must have tested him." Ezra said softly. "Maybe Kanan was there to…to watch over him somehow."

"Sweetheart. What else did he say?" Sabine asked.

Caleb told them about the Darkness that Kanan had said was far off, but coming. "He said I have to be ready, and that Ezra is supposed to teach me about the Force."

Another silent communication between Sabine and Ezra. "Anything else?" Sabine asked gently.

"That I had a path along the light side of the Force. He promised he would always be with me. And he said he missed everyone so much."

Ezra bowed his head for a moment, then gathered himself. He moved to kneel on the floor so that he was eye level with Caleb. "We miss him too. I will teach you everything your father taught me about the Force, but there's something we have to do."

"What?" Caleb asked.

"We can't tell your mom about all this yet."

"Why not?"

"Caleb…this whole thing…" he gestured around them, "is something I really don't understand well. I need to find out more about what's going on, so your mom will be okay with me teaching you. She believes the Force is dangerous because of what happened to your dad."

"Is it?" Caleb asked softly.

"It can be. But Caleb…the Force is a part of you, just like it's a part of me. We have to be who we are, but we do not want to run into things blindly, either. I need time to find out what's going on, so I can reassure your mom that things are okay, but if she finds out about the cave, and the Loth-wolves…and Kanan when I myself still don't understand what's going on, she'll be too scared and worried to try and understand."

Sabine spoke up at this point, "It's not that we think hiding things from your mom is right…but in this case…just for a little while would give Ezra time to have all the facts when he explains it to her."

Caleb nodded.

"So, can we keep this between us, just for now?" Ezra asked.

"Yes." He nodded again.

"Okay, Let's get you something to eat." Sabine said, standing up and holding out her hand for Caleb. "Maybe you can do something with those?" She looked at the bloody and torn clothing Caleb had been wearing, then back up at Ezra.

"Got it." Ezra replied.

"Good. C'mon, Caleb."

* * *

 

"You okay?" Sabine asked, as Ezra came to bed.

He nodded, pushing back his longish hair. It was loose from its nerf tail and still slightly damp from the fresher. She saw the slight tightness in his eyes, however, and knew that the day had been rough on him.

Sabine wasn't sure it was the best idea to keep Caleb's adventure from Zeb and Hera, but they didn't have much of a choice. They had seemed quiet and tired when they'd gotten home, but Hera had seemed in a much better mood, probably courtesy of Zeb's stash of alcohol. She'd even taken Ezra outside to talk, and when they'd come back in neither one of them had been angry, so Sabine took it as a good omen.

He sat down on the bed, back against the headboard and knees pulled up. By now, she knew that usually meant he needed to talk. She turned to face him. "Do you really think the kid saw Kanan?" she asked.

Ezra shook his head. "I don't know. Anything's possible." He lifted his blue eyes to hers. "I've tried so many times to feel him in the Force…to see if he's still there, and I've never felt anything."

"You said out by the rocks was different. Like the Jedi Temple. Do you think maybe he can only…communicate from somewhere like that? A vergence?"

"It's possible." Ezra murmured. "I think I need to go check it out tomorrow…and search that cave completely."

"I'll come with you," Sabine offered. "You shouldn't go alone. I can call for help if we need it."

"Okay. You can keep watch at the cave entrance. That way, at least you'll have some hope of getting a comm signal out if there's trouble." He paused for a moment, avoiding her gaze. "Sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to go base-delta-zero on you right when you needed me."

"Ezra." Her eyes were soft with concern.

"It was just the idea…of him…Maul…here. Of possibly hurting one of us…" His face twisted in worry as he looked away, searching for the right words.

She reached up and put her fingertips to his lips. "No, love. Don't apologize." She leaned in and kissed away the rest of his words, tangling her fingers in his hair to pull him close.

He responded to her the way she knew he would, returning the kiss with an urgency that broke forth in a groan. "Sabine…you're changing the subject." His voice held a playful, warning note to it.

"I know," a mischievous smile crossed her features. They stayed that way, for a while, feeding on each other until they were both breathless with need. His kisses moved from her mouth down her neck and to her collarbone which was visible underneath the wide neck of her sleep shirt.

"Cyar'ika," she whispered into the curve behind his ear, letting her teeth graze there.

She let out a cry as he flipped her onto her back. She could feel his body pushing against her own as his mouth found the same spot behind the delicate shell of her ear. "Shhh," he warned her. His eyes, now seeming midnight blue, found hers before he leaned in to kiss her again. "No more talking. Just…this," he murmured into her lips.

Any reply she might have had was lost in the ocean of sensation as her body arched to meet his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear from you if you are liking this story. Comments really make my day. :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> Thanks for the reviews. As I said before, I wrote this before I knew how Rebels would end, so the events do not line up.  
> I'm excited that all of you seem so positive about this, and that makes me even more motivated to finish.  
> OH and yeah, I posted two chapters today, so if you didn't read chapter 4, go back and check it out RIGHT NOW because you'll be confused if you don't.

5.

Ezra was quiet as the speeder made its way back out to the rocks outside the boundary. Sabine was driving and he was beside her in the seat with his eyes closed. The wind whipped his hair into his eyes and face, but he was so immersed in the Force that it didn't seem to register.

She'd walked into their room this morning to see him reviewing the meditation techniques stored in the holocron. His head was inclined as he listened to the seated female Jedi in the holo guide him through a deep meditation. He'd been quiet all morning, a tell-tale sign that he was still holding onto that meditative state.

He didn't even open his eyes when the speeder came to a halt at the bottom of the path upwards, and she had to rouse him with a gentle hand on the shoulder.

"We're here," she said softly.

Ezra opened his eyes and looked up at the towering rock formation, then he nodded. He climbed out of the speeder with her, and grabbed one of the stronger comms units, along with several glowrods, some rope and climbing gear. Neither of them had any idea what the deeper area of the caves would be like. Sabine helped him get it all settled on his person, and then he took her hand in his own. "Ready?" He asked.

It was her turn to nod, and together they climbed up the rocks. When they reached the top, the black maw of the cave yawned at them.

Ezra turned to her. "I'm going in as far as I can, then I'm going to try a deep meditation. I'll set my comm for five hours from now. If I don't come out or comm you by then…and you can't reach me, call Hera and Zeb and tell them everything."

She nodded. "I'll follow you in as far as the chamber."

They both entered the cave, which was empty this time, and Ezra lit a glowrod. "I'll keep in touch as long as comms allow." He placed a hand on her cheek and pulled her in for a kiss.

When they parted, her dark eyes were focused on him. "If you don't come out, I'm coming in. Force or not."

He grinned. "I know." Ezra began to back up, keeping her in his sight. "Love you, Sabine."

"You know how I feel, cyar'ika." Her eyes were serious in the semi-darkness. "Be careful," she called softly.

"I will." With one last look, Ezra turned and the darkness swallowed him up.

After the chamber where they'd seen the Loth-wolves, Ezra found himself on a landing for a rough staircase hewn out of the rock. The steps led down several hundred feet, until he came into a larger chamber. Just like the cave above, the walls were encrusted with crystal and mineral deposits. "Sabine?" Ezra tried the comms as he turned around and eyed the stalactite formations around him.

"I'm here, Ezra…" There was static, but he could make out her voice.

"I went down these stone stairs, now I'm in a chamber about twice the size as the cave above." He glanced around the room. There was a darkness in one corner, and he headed that way. He found an opening in the rock that led straight ahead. He extended a hand and used the Force to try and sense what was in front of him.

It opened out into another chamber, and he could feel the pulse of the Force, stronger ahead of him. "There's a big area ahead. It slants down deeper."

"Be careful, Ezra." He could hear the worry in her voice as her voice became overtaken with static.

"I will."

He made his way into the darkness. After a time, there was a fork in the passageway. The Force was stronger down the right side so he took that branch.

When it opened up into a giant underground chamber, he tried to call Sabine again. There was no answer this time, just static, so he determined he was beyond the comms range and whatever was causing the disruption was in now fully in effect.

When he reached the large chamber, he set out the glowrods and settled himself in one of the meditation poses that Kanan had always favored. He sat back on his heels and joined his hands in front of him into an oval, a mudra that improved concentration, before he closed his eyes in the semi-darkness.

He had spent a lot of time searching the holocron since Kanan had died. As he moved through the steps that Depa Billaba's hologram had given him, he sank through the waves of the Force, opening himself fully to the Force-tide. The deep currents washed every thought away with their ebb and flow. Eventually, he began to feel even his own physical sense of himself fade, until there was only the Force, so deeply and completely had he merged with the ocean of light.

He'd tried this meditation several times since Kanan had died, trying with all his might to be able to contact his master, but he had sensed nothing.

In this place, however, it was different. He felt the surge of the vergence, the strength and concentrated richness of the Force unlike anything he'd ever felt before. It scoured his mind clean and left it ready to be filled with the Light.

He had no idea how long he'd been sitting when he felt warmth on his face. Opening his eyes, he saw that a doorway had opened off of the room he was in. He didn't remember seeing it before, but it was there now, standing open with golden light pouring through.

BRIDGER

A Loth-wolf stood in the doorway, casting a shadow toward him. How could one cast a shadow in such light? It was too bright for shadow, but there it was.

_A great darkness threatens which will require a great light to meet it._

_Create a balance._

_The one in the middle._

The words came from somewhere else, floating to Ezra on the rich flow of the Force-current.

Ezra found he was standing, coming closer to the Loth-wolf that towered over him.

"I'm ready," he said to it.

They started to go through the doorway and there was a **_shift_**.

It was cold, dark and there was thunder.

No…not thunder. Bombardment from above. Ezra looked around, realizing now that he was in a similar chamber, but there were multiple staircases leading upwards to myriad doors.

And he saw a lone figure being led down a large staircase by a Loth-wolf.

As the figure approached, he saw it was Kanan.

"Kanan…" He called, feeling his heart breaking, but the figure did not see him. Ezra watched from the side as Kanan approached the middle of the chamber, where a large Kyber crystal rested. It was gigantic, at least as big as the first Phantom, and part of it was embedded in the rock floor of the cavern, so that it was impossible to know its true size.

Kanan looked at it with a tilt of his head in that indirect way that meant he was examining it, seeing it, with the Force. It was a gesture Ezra had seen hundreds of times, but never really thought about until now.

The Jedi's hand touched the smooth surface and it began to sing. A soft green glow lit the chamber as the crystal vibrated, just like Ezra knew the Kyber in his own lightsaber vibrated when he touched it. But this was concentrated a thousand times. It vibrated so loudly that Ezra could feel it in the air around them. Kybers only sang for the person who was MEANT to have the crystal. Did that mean this crystal was meant for Kanan?

"This. This will save Lothal?" Kanan inclined his head toward the Loth-wolf, again signaling that he was using his expanded Force-senses to listen. "And…my family? Will they be okay?"

He reached out and twined a hand in the wolf's fur, leaning in until they were face to face, almost as if he was staring into the animal's eyes and listening to him. Kanan then closed his eyes and murmured, "I know I need to let go. It's just hard." There was a tremble in Kanan's voice, and the wolf sniffed him once more and nuzzled him with its wet nose.

Another peal of artificial thunder shook the cavern.

The Loth-wolf let out a pained whimper, then laid down, as if waiting.

Kanan turned back to the crystal. "Gotta let go…let go," he whispered, as if gathering his strength. Kanan wiped his palms against his pants before he placed his hands on the green surface again and lowered his head in concentration. Ezra felt Kanan's thoughts in the bright Force-current: he centered his thoughts upon Hera and the unborn child, then on Ezra, Sabine and Zeb as the crystal began to glow. The sheer force of the love he had for them all crashed into Ezra and actually made him gasp with the intensity. Kanan was thinking about the lonely life he'd led before meeting Hera, before taking Ezra on as a Padawan, before meeting Zeb and Sabine, and he realized an overwhelming gratefulness to the Force for giving him the chance to know such love.

Ezra felt pain in his heart as he watched tears slip from Kanan's blind eyes. It seemed as if he had been forced to make some kind of choice…to save Lothal or save Hera, his child and the rest of them. It was an unthinkable decision with which to be faced.

"Kanan." He murmured, wanting so much to stop him, but knowing this was only a vision of the past and could not be changed. The green light of the enormous kyber crystal became brighter and brighter until Ezra had to squint his eyes. Kanan's blind gaze was unchanged and unaffected by the brilliant light; he remained motionless, channeling more and more Force energy into the crystal. Ezra felt and heard the strained crystal begin to crack, but it did not stop what Kanan was doing.

Finally, the energy filled the air so much that loose rocks began to float upwards from the floor. Even the molecules of the air vibrated with energy. The charge reached the point of no return, and the detonation caused a green-colored Force wave to explode outwards from the heart of the crystal.

And Kanan was just…gone.

Ezra gasped in shock. There was nothing left in the spot where Kanan had been standing. No body, only a pile of clothes. The crystal was now cracked and dark.

The Loth-wolf, in the memory, stood and began to howl mournfully.

And the memory faded around Ezra. He was in the same spot Kanan had been in but no longer in the past. The Loth-wolf now sat in front of him, yellow eyes watching him. Ezra fell to his knees, sobbing, one hand on the dark, cold Kyber crystal. He reached out, placing his hand on the small pile of belongings that had lain there for over eight years, undisturbed, and he felt something among the clothing.

Kanan's lightsaber.

The object further unraveled his emotions, and he cradled it gently in his hands as he wept.

The Loth-wolf nuzzled him with its head, but he didn't respond. He was inconsolably lost in oceans of grief.

Kanan had sacrificed himself for Lothal. He had sacrificed a life with Hera and his child…to save Ezra's planet. Ezra felt the weight of the responsibility of it, heavy on his shoulders. He had been so set that they come and free Lothal from the Empire's grip. Had he brought them back only so Kanan could die?

This wasn't right. If someone had to die, it should have been himself…he suddenly clutched Kanan's lightsaber to his chest as he let out a sob of pain. It was then he heard a voice behind him that caused his breath to catch in his throat.

"Ezra."

* * *

 

Sabine checked her comm for the fourteenth time in the past ten minutes. Ezra was late contacting her and she couldn't reach him.

"Kriff!" She growled, stalking out of the cave.

A thunderstorm was blowing up from the west. It was Lothal's rainy season, during which there could be severe storms in the afternoons. She noticed the scents of ozone and petrichor as she called Hera's comm. "Um...Hera…" she murmured as the Twi'lek picked up.

"Sabine." She could hear the happy voice of Caleb in the background, chattering with Zeb as he worked on one of his educational holo programs. "You and Ezra probably want to head back home. There's a bad storm coming up."

"We…uh…may have a problem," she winced. "Ezra and I are out here at Caleb's cave. He went in to explore it and was supposed to call me back and missed his check-in."

"Why do I get the feeling there's more to this than I know?"

"Um…because there is." She gnawed on her bottom lip as she waited.

"You can explain when we get there." Hera said. "Wait for us."

"I read you," Sabine murmured in reply.

* * *

 

"So, you two thought keeping this from me would make me feel better about Ezra teaching Caleb how to use the Force? Sabine! What were you thinking?"

"We were trying to think about you," she said, not unkindly. Hera was taking it better than they'd thought she would, Sabine realized. "It was more like we were afraid of upsetting you. I'm sorry…Ezra just wanted to know more before he told you what happened to Caleb."

Hera sighed heavily, kneading her forehead with one hand and realizing she'd brought this on herself. After the war and since returning to Lothal, she'd been on edge, unwilling to talk to Ezra about Caleb, whom they both knew was extremely talented in the Force. She'd avoided talking about Kanan, even though Caleb was desperate to learn about his father. The subject had just been painful to face head on, but now she saw that her refusal to deal with it had led the kids to keep secrets from her. Here they were, putting themselves in harm's way, and she had pushed them away and made it impossible for them to confide in her. What would Kanan think of the mess she had made of things, since he'd been gone? She shook her head at herself disapprovingly.

 _This is all of your making_ , _Syndulla_ , she thought. _Time to make it right._

"Sabine…" she sighed, "I guess I haven't done that great of a job of being there for you two, have I?"

"It's okay. You've had a lot to deal with," Sabine said uncomfortably.

Hera shook her head, leaned in and unexpectedly hugged Sabine tightly. "It's not okay. I'm sorry." If Ezra was hurt, she'd have no one to blame but herself, Hera realized.

"We should have just told you." Sabine murmured into her shoulder.

The Twi'lek leaned back and smoothed Sabine's bob, tucking the strands of hair behind the girl's ear in a motherly way. Sabine and Ezra were grown now, but they would always be her kids, just like Caleb. "We're all going to do better," Hera said, wondering where this sudden flow of confidence was coming from.

She released the young woman and turned to Zeb. The Lasat had shouldered a pack with a med kit, water and other supplies. They'd brought Caleb, who stood behind them watching everything go on. Hera hadn't felt comfortable bringing him here, but she hadn't felt comfortable leaving him behind, either.

"He's meditating." Caleb said softly.

Hera knelt beside the child. "Who? Ezra?"

"Yeah." Caleb murmured, his lekku twitching uneasily. He realized that he was sensing something they couldn't feel. "He's sad. Really sad. Something's not right."

"It's okay. We're going to get him. And then we're all going to have a long discussion so we can work together to make things better." Hera said gently, smoothing down an errant lock of his hair. "Don't worry."

She turned her gaze to Sabine. "Someone needs to stay with Caleb. Do you want to go after Ezra, or you want me to? Zeb needs to go, in case there's any climbing."

"I should go." Sabine said. "If he's…had a panic attack or something, I can help get him back."

Hera studied her face, then nodded. Sabine did have a special way with Ezra. The first time he'd had a panic attack, during the Hoth evacuation, she had coaxed him out of a corner in the hangar and into the Ghost, using nothing but her voice and a gentle touch. "Okay. We'll be right here."

"Nooo." Caleb shook his head and tried to follow Sabine. "I wanna go. Spectre six needs us."

Hera leaned down to look at him eye to eye. "Caleb. Listen to me. We need to stay up here as backup. If Sabine needs us, she'll call and we'll go."

The boy bit his lip, but nodded. Satisfied, Hera glanced up to where Sabine stood. "Call us at the first sign of trouble." Hera said to Sabine as she rubbed Caleb's shoulder.

"We will," Sabine said.

"C'mon kit." Zeb placed a hand on Sabine's shoulder. "Let's go get him."

* * *

 

"It's huge down here." Sabine said, as they began to take the stone stairs down to the first empty chamber.

"Yeah." Zeb's light shone on the nearest wall, and they both saw the same types of cave drawings that they'd seen in the other caves on Lothal. They'd still had Kanan then. Zeb frowned and rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortably. The truth of it was, losing Kanan was a wound in his soul that wouldn't heal. The idea of losing another of their family? It was unthinkable. "C'mon. Let's keep moving." He'd find Ezra if he had to take this cave apart bit by bit.

She picked up the pace as they hit the main floor. "Which way?"

The Lasat knelt down and sniffed the air. "Across the room." He nodded, pointing. They both found the hallway, with Zeb leading the way. They took a right-hand fork and came out into a giant chamber, where two glowrods gleamed like tiny stars in the darkness.

"That way." They practically ran to the spot and found Ezra's pack and glowrods. "He was here." Sabine murmured, looking around frantically in the dark.

Finally, she found him. He was lying limp on the floor across the room, next to something huge. For a crazy moment, she thought a rock from the ceiling of the cave had fallen and injured him, but she checked him for injuries, and he wasn't bleeding anywhere. Zeb took out a glowrod of his own and they saw that Ezra's face was twisted in an expression of grief, and tears streamed out from his closed lids.

"Ezra?" She whispered, smoothing back his hair. "What happened, love?"

Zeb had shrugged out of his pack and began rummaging through it. He pulled out a handheld med scanner and used it on Ezra. "No internal injuries." Zeb scanned Ezra, holding out the glowrod. The med scanner noted that he was in a state of deep sleep. When he looked closely, he saw Ezra's eyes moving under the closed lids.

"What's he holding?" Zeb looked more closely and took a sharp breath. "Karabast! It's Kanan's lightsaber."

Sabine looked, and clutched in his hands and pulled in to his chest was the familiar shape of Kanan's lightsaber. Sabine looked up at Zeb, then glanced around. Next to them was a pile of clothing. They both recognized it as Kanan's clothing.

"By the Ashla…" Zeb said, looking through it. "It's his…Kanan's…this is where Kanan died." They both knew that the Loth-wolves had some strange ability to teleport them across the surface of Lothal. Perhaps they'd brought Kanan here when he'd gone with them so long ago.

Tears trembled in her eyes as she looked to Ezra. "Wake up, Ezra. Please wake up."

* * *

 

Ezra turned, blinking the tears out of his eyes and scrambling to his feet. Due to the tears, he could barely see the figure behind him, but the voice was unmistakable. He'd waited years to hear it again.

"K..Kanan?" He rasped, swiping at his eyes.

Kanan stood in front of him, dressed in soft grey robes. As Ezra scanned his face, he saw Kanan's clear gaze regarding him.

"Is…is it really you, Master?" His voice trembled.

Kanan stepped closer, a bemused smile on his face as he gently enfolded his student in his arms. "Of course it's me." There was a pause, then, "You've grown up, Padawan," he murmured against the side of Ezra's head while they embraced. "You got tall."

"Your eyes…You can SEE me." His voice was choked with tears. Kanan's eyes were just as blue-green as they had been before Maul, but Ezra hadn't seen them in so long.

"I could always see you, kid. But yeah. All things are made right again, in the Force."

"I've missed you so much." Ezra said, his mind reeling. "H-how are you here?" Ezra had taken their Master-Padawan bond for granted when Kanan had been alive. Then, when Kanan had died, it had become an empty void in his mind. Now, however, the connection flared with the brilliant light of the Force.

"The vergence here is strong. It is why I am able to talk with you…for a short time." He tilted his head as he stepped back, regarding Ezra thoughtfully.

"Like a vision."

Kanan nodded. "I know you have questions…and worries, but your time here is short. Lay these words to your heart, Ezra. My choice to save Lothal was not because of you. It had everything to do with me."

"I don't understand." Ezra scanned Kanan's face.

"I was called by the Force to stop the attack on Lothal. I could have refused, but had I made the more selfish choice…to save Hera and our child, I would have eventually lost everything to the dark side. And that's something I couldn't allow to happen.

"Therefore, I had to entrust Hera, Caleb, Sabine and Zeb to you, and make the unselfish choice. You must let go of the guilt you carry over this." Here, Kanan reached forward and placed his hands on both of Ezra's shoulders.

Ezra nodded uncertainly. "I'll try."

"Do it for me. You must move on." Kanan urged. His hands slipped away at Ezra's second nod. "There is much to accomplish."

"Caleb said…I am supposed to train him in the Force. Is…is that what you want?"

"Yes. It is the will of the Force as well. Our time here is growing short, Ezra."

"Wait…W-what about…Hera?"

A swift look of anguish crossed Kanan's face, and it was clear that the years and distance apart had done nothing to dull his love for her. "I regret she has been through so much pain. Tell her when she is ready to let go of that pain, I will be waiting.

"But, Ezra. Know this. There is a darkness coming…far in the future. It will try to rise up to extinguish the light as it always does. Caleb needs to be ready when he is called."

"Ready?"

"To keep the balance. Your path lies in the light as well, but always be mindful of the balance, my Padawan."

Kanan turned, as if to go, and Ezra reached out to catch his sleeve. "Don't…don't leave. Force, I've missed you. We all have…"

Kanan turned, his eyes sad. "I know, as I have missed you. Be at ease, Padawan." Kanan reached out to embrace him once more and placed his fingers on Ezra's temple at the same time. "Touching the Force in this way is draining, and you are tired. It's time to rest now."

"No…" Once more, Ezra found tears blurring his eyes. "I don't want to go…"

"Ezra, I am with you in the Force, always. You will never be alone-not even at your last day. Now, rest easy…"

Against his will, Ezra felt a tiredness begin to overwhelm him. His eyes closed and darkness overtook him, but he still struggled. "No…"

"They are here for you now. Sleep, Ezra."

There was a groan from Ezra and a fluttering of his eyelids. "Zeb!" Sabine called, both into the darkness and on her comm.

They'd moved Ezra as far as the large chamber and were waiting on Hera and Caleb to come.

"I don't want to go…" Ezra moaned, shaking his head from side to side. All Sabine could see in the light of the glowrods was a sliver of the bottom of his blue irises; his eyes were rolled back, seeing something beyond reality. It had the appearance of a seizure, but the medscanner said differently.

"Ezra, love. Wake up, please. You're safe." She ran her fingers down his cheek in a soft caress.

"Don't leave. Don't…" He groaned, more tears streaming down his face. "Don't…"

Zeb returned to her. Ezra continued to mumble unintelligibly and thrash as Sabine held him. Zeb was just dropping to his knees to help keep Ezra still so he wouldn't hurt himself when they heard something behind them.

"Sabine?!" They heard Hera and Caleb's footsteps drawing near.

"He's having bad dream or a vision…I don't know…" Sabine said softly, smoothing his hair back. "We can't wake him."

Ezra's violent reaction finally began to calm. His breathing slowed and the tension in his body seemed to ease.

Hera knelt by Ezra and took his hand. "Did he hit his head?"

"Med scanner says no." Zeb stated.

"Please, Ezra." Caleb put a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "Be okay. Please wake up."

As if by magic, Ezra opened his eyes. He blinked slowly and seemed dazed until a peal of thunder caused him to startle.

"Ezra, back with us?" Hera asked, squeezing his hand.

"What? I don't…know. Tired." Ezra said. His voice was faint as his eyes drifted shut again.

"No…no…don't go back to sleep." Sabine said, reaching out to smooth back his hair. His eyes came back open after a moment and focused on her.

"Love you." He murmured.

"Love you too, you nerfherder. Think you can sit up?" Sabine helped him get upright.

"Ezra. What happened?" Hera asked gently. "Are you hurt?"

Ezra shook his head. "Just tired." He leaned his head on Sabine's shoulder and closed his eyes again.

"Ok. We need to get him home. That storm…is going to be a huge one. We'll take the Phantom and Zeb…can you take the speeder back home?"

"Yeah. Got it." Zeb threw everything into his backpack, making sure that Hera didn't see Kanan's clothes and lightsaber inside. Next, with a nod, he handed Hera and Caleb a glowrod each. Then, he and Sabine helped Ezra get to his feet. Once standing, Ezra seemed a little dazed, but he was able to walk with their help.

"Light the way, Spectre Seven," Zeb said.

Caleb took the job seriously, checking over his shoulder to make sure he didn't get too far ahead. As they climbed the stairs, they heard more rumbles of thunder outside that made them all share worried glances.

When they exited out into the cave, a Loth-wolf was there. "Sithspit." Hera hissed, reaching out to pull Caleb close. "What does it want?" She glanced uneasily to Ezra, then to Sabine.

"It's saying goodbye." Caleb murmured. He stepped forward, dodging Hera's swipe at him and the wolf lowered its head and nuzzled him, playfully, like a mother Loth-cat with a kit. Then the wolf retreated.

Hera let out a breath she hadn't know she'd been holding. "Okay. Let's go," she said, her voice tight as she stepped forward and guided Caleb away from the Loth-wolf that looked like he could eat the child in one snap of his jaws. She glared at the creature, unable to hide her anger toward it. The last time Ezra had seen Kanan, he'd followed one of these creatures and yeah. She held a grudge for that.

The storm had broken. Lightening flashed jagged crags across the dark sky. Hera and Sabine helped Ezra in the house with Caleb trailing behind them. Zeb came in a moment later, shaking the wet from his fur.

"I'll get Ezra into some dry clothes." Sabine said, ushering him into their bedroom.

"That goes for all of us. Dry clothes first. We'll talk later. About everything." She held out her hand for Caleb. "Come on. Let's get you dried out."

"Will Ezra be okay?"

"Yes," she answered, without hesitation. "Because we're going to make sure he is."

"Are you mad at Ezra?" He asked as they headed down the hallway.

"No. Not at all, love." She grabbed a towel from the bathroom, then turned to Caleb and knelt by him. "You, and Ezra, Sabine and Zeb are the most precious things in the world to me. I love each of you so much." She rubbed his hair gently, thinking of how it was just the same shade as Kanan's. Then she pulled the towel off of his head, seeing his bright eyes regarding her solemnly.

"I love you too." He threw both arms around her, squeezing tightly as if he would never let her go.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for all of you who have taken time out of your busy schedules to comment. ;) Thanks so much! There's just something about a comment that makes you enjoy the story again like you did when you first wrote it. 
> 
> Oh, and I might make this a series and check back in on our cute little tooka when he's fifteen and then maybe again at 27. Anyone have an opinion on that idea? Just curious! Have a great Saturday night!

Chapter 6

Ezra opened his eyes and realized he was home. He had a hazy memory of a bumpy ride back in the Phantom, booming thunder, driving rain and a splitting headache like none he'd ever had before. He vaguely remembered Cale by his side, his smaller hand in Ezra's own as he looked up with those blue-green eyes of his. Ezra then remembered that he'd sensed Kanan's familiar presence on his other side in the Phantom. He had looked, but had seen nothing. However, when he turned away, Kanan's presence was still with him. The tears he couldn't seem to stop brought Sabine back to his side, and gradually, his Master's presence seemed to fade away. He couldn't remember whatever it was he had said to her, but it had only intensified the worried expression on her features.

Sabine and Hera had gotten him inside. He'd then felt the sting of a sprayhypo and collapsed, wet, cold and shivering on his bed. The last memory he had was of Sabine, gently wiping at his face and hair with a towel.

Apparently, someone, probably Sabine, had wrestled him into dry clothes because he was no longer cold. A throb of love for her threatened to burst his heart. She'd tucked a blanket around him and dimmed the light so he would sleep easier.

He sat up experimentally and realized that his headache was better. He was still a bit woozy, probably from whatever Hera had given him in that hypo, but woozy was better than pain. He would make it into the main part of the house, if he took it slow.

He could hear voices in the other part of the dwelling. He stood, wavering for a moment until he got his sense of balance back. Four steps to the door, and he steadied himself on the doorjamb. He tried reaching for the Force to boost his balance, but his head throbbed with renewed pain, and he had to let go just as quickly.

He went down the hallway, trailing a hand along the wall, as Kanan might have done-had he lived with them here. A swift, sudden pain in his chest took all his words, as he thought of Kanan and saw their little family in front of him. Hera was sitting in the oversized chair with Caleb, while Zeb and Sabine were on the couch. The kid seemed to be telling Hera about meeting Kanan for the first time.

He stopped speaking however, when he saw Ezra and everyone's gaze followed his. "Ezra!"

Ezra made his way to the couch and sat heavily by Sabine. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Okay." He glanced to Hera with trepidation.

"Caleb was finishing telling me about getting his…crystal." Hera said, with the slightest waver in her voice. "Did you recognize your father from the holos?" she asked gently.

He nodded. "But his eyes weren't white anymore."

Ezra could see Hera's jaw clench and he knew she was fighting back tears. "That's how they were before he got hurt, Caleb," Hera replied. "They were beautiful, just like yours." She reached out and smoothed his hair.

"He said he had passed into the Force. He wanted to come back, but he couldn't. I told him how much you all missed him." Caleb looked from Hera's face to Zeb, who was struggling with his emotions as well.

"I'm glad you told him that, kit," he said hoarsely.

Hera cleared her throat and managed to speak without tears in her voice. "Go on, little love. You can tell the rest. It's okay."

Caleb still didn't say anything for a long time. His face twisted with indecision. "But everyone's so sad." Caleb finally murmured, looking around to all of them with worry. "I don't wanna...make everybody feel sad."

"You're not making us sad, Cale. We miss Kanan, and even though what you're saying makes us feel sad, because we remember him, it's good too. To know that he's alright, and not sad, or scared, or in pain…helps us feel better." Ezra said softly from where he leaned against Sabine's side, their hands intertwined.

"Oh." Caleb said softly, thinking. He bit his bottom lip in thought, then continued after working through it in his mind. "He said Ezra was supposed to train me to use the light side of the Force. He said that he'll be watching over me. So…will you let Ezra teach me about the Force? Please?"

"Of…of course." Her reply was a muted whisper. Hera leaned her cheek on top of his head as she held him in her arms. Ezra and Sabine didn't miss the fact that a few silent tears slipped out, as Hera furiously tried to blink them away. "And thank you, Caleb," she kissed his head and squeezed him tightly. "I'm so glad to know your father is watching over you."

"I love you, Mommy." Caleb turned in her arms and returned the hug.

"And I love you, little one. So much." At her words, he closed his eyes and sighed contentedly. Hera's teary eyes met Zeb's, Sabine's and Ezra's over Caleb's head. "I'm afraid I need to apologize to all of you."

"No—" Ezra shook his head.

"Yes. I shouldn't have pushed you all away. I've been running from the past, when I should have been trying to understand it and come to peace with it. I'm so sorry."

"You didn't push us away. You couldn't push us away if you tried," Sabine said, wiping under her eyes to keep her own tears from falling. "And now, I think we all need a break. Ezra needs something to eat, and I know Spectre Seven could eat a bantha on his own."

"No, I couldn't!" Caleb protested with a giggle as he turned toward her.

"Yep. A **whole** bantha." She stood up and held out a hand. "Want to help me in the kitchen?"

Caleb hopped up. "Okay. Are we all going?"

"I'm coming," Zeb said, standing up to follow. "I think Ezra and Hera will be along in a minute."

When they were gone, Ezra sighed and slumped down into the couch a little. He was exhausted; Hera could tell. She came over and sat beside him. "Head still hurts?" she asked, rubbing his shoulder.

"Only a little," he admitted, leaning into her much the same as Caleb would have done. "How are you doing? Are you okay?" He examined her with a close gaze. She was taking this a lot better than he'd thought she would. But she hadn't heard what he had to tell her yet, had she?

"I don't know. Was it really Kanan?" she asked, biting her bottom lip.

Ezra nodded. "I know it was. I saw him too."

Hera's eyes darted back to him, and she grabbed his hand, squeezing tightly. "He's…he's okay?"

"Dinner's ready!" Caleb's happy call came from the kitchen area.

"Yeah, he is." He met her eyes meaningfully. "We can talk about the rest of it later when Caleb goes to bed." Ezra said. "The kid doesn't need to hear all of it…not yet, anyway."

She nodded, understanding what he meant.

* * *

The rainstorm crashed and thundered around the little dwelling as they finished dinner. Sabine and Zeb were cleaning up the kitchen, and Hera went to tuck Caleb into bed. Ezra curled into the couch and closed his eyes, trying to rub the ache out of his forehead. Telling Hera what happened was going to be difficult, to say the least. He tried to let his worry for her melt into the Force, but it was difficult to stop wanting to protect her.

And what was he going to tell her, exactly? The whole truth? How much could she handle? She'd told Caleb earlier that he could train with Ezra…did that show that she'd begun to accept the loss or would this set her back? It was impossible to know.

_Help me._ He flung his plea into the Force. _Help me know what to do for her._

The answer came back, as clear as the flawless blue Kyber crystal that Caleb had been given. The Force wasn't always this clear to him, but now it was singing out loud and strong.

Hera was to know everything. She would be sad, of course, but in the end, she would be alright.

"Ezra?"

Sabine had knelt beside the couch while he was lost in thought, and was peering at his face when he opened his eyes. "Can I get you anything?" she asked gently as he smiled.

"I'm okay."

"That took a lot out of you, didn't it?" Sabine said, coming around to sit beside him. They leaned in toward each other, and she took his hand.

He nodded. "K…Kanan said it was draining, using the Force like that...right before he sent me out of wherever we were. I'm over the worst of it, I think."

"So, he **was** there when you went back…"

"Yeah…" Ezra looked up as Zeb entered the room with a bottle and four glasses. "What's that?" Ezra asked, a half-smile on his features.

"Little bit o' liquid courage. Corellian brandy."

"Not sure how that's gonna go down with the cocktail Hera gave me earlier." Ezra raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I think I better take it easy, at least to start off with."

"That's okay, more for me." Zeb chuckled, pouring a glass and throwing it back. "Sabine?"

She nodded and accepted a glass.

"Alright. Cale's out like a light." Hera came in, then threw herself down in the oversized chair. Zeb poured her a generous two or three shots' worth in the oversized glass, then handed it to her. "Why does this feel familiar?" She smiled at him.

"Hey…it's been another hard day." Zeb shrugged, settling into his previous chair.

"Yeah." Hera sipped at hers, then leaned forward, cradling the glass in her hand. "Ezra. Let me say this right off. I'm so glad you're okay. But…don't do that again. We're in this together; you can't hide things from me like this. You and Sabine are my kids every bit as much as that little boy in there, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing either one of you. Do you understand me?"

She'd spoken in her "mom" voice and Ezra and Sabine both automatically nodded.

"I didn't hear all of Caleb's story earlier. Did he mention…M-Maul?" Ezra asked.

Hera nodded. "It was part of the test?"

"It was a test to see if he would abandon us to save himself, as far as I can tell from him. He wouldn't do it." Ezra shook his head, wonderingly. "He's a brave kid."

"What happened when you went back to the cave?" Hera asked, leaning forward.

Ezra could feel that sense of _shift_ in Hera, which might or might not be progress, and he didn't want to upset the fragile balance, but the Force pushed him on. "I saw how Kanan died…" When he looked at Hera, she nodded slowly, steadying herself.

"Tell me what happened." When Ezra hesitated, she went on. "Please, Ezra. I…I have to know."

"There's a large green Kyber crystal in that cave. Bigger than…Bigger than the _Phantom_ , I think. In a vision, I saw…Kanan touch it and it **sang** for him, Hera."

"Wait. What do you mean?"

"The crystals…they only sing for the person who is meant to use them." Ezra explained. "The green energy wave that took out Imperial communications, weapons systems, and everything else that night…he…he did that."

Hera's eyes went wide and she set her glass on the table and leaned forward. "How, Ezra? I mean he was strong, but…that kind of power…"

Ezra nodded. "I know. Somehow, he saved us. He had a choice. He knew he would die, if he saved Lothal, but he knew that NOT saving Lothal would lead him to the dark side. He made what he felt was the right choice."

Hera's mind was reeling. "Wait. You're saying that using that crystal…the way he did, was what killed him? His...his body..." she swallowed hard, "is in that cave?" She stood up, confusion blooming on her face. "I've got to go back…I have to g-get him."

"No. Wait…" Ezra got up, his hand outstretched toward her.

"I'm not leaving his body in that cave!" Hera cried in an agonized whisper, her hands clenched into fists. Tears streamed down her face. She grabbed her blaster from a nearby table and was strapping it on when Ezra took it from her gently.

"He's not there anymore. He vanished, Hera. There was no body. There **was** **no** **body**." Ezra wrapped both his arms around her, holding her tightly.

"No…" She moaned, finally breaking.

"The Force took him." Ezra murmured to her. "He's part of it now, and a part of us."

She heaved her sobs into his shoulder. "Why? Why couldn't we have found another way?"

Ezra shook his head. "As far as I can tell, that was the only way. We were overrun and going to lose. The Force called him to save Lothal. Making the selfish choice to save himself would have led to the dark side, and he couldn't let that happen."

Ezra remained holding her, sensing her emotions heaving like dark ocean water. Only when the wave of grief had begun to subside did he allow her to step back. She sat back down shakily, throwing back the rest of her brandy like it was water and wiping the tears away with the heels of her hands.

Zeb had gotten up during this, exiting and returning with his backpack, the one he'd had earlier in the day. "Hera. We brought back everything we found," he said, voice rough with emotion as he knelt beside her chair. He pulled out Kanan's black and silver lightsaber and placed it in her hands.

She held it reverently, and then clutched it to her chest for long moments.

"I thought…I thought I might have just imagined seeing that." Ezra murmured with surprise.

"It was in your hand…" Sabine said, meeting her husband's eyes, "when we found you."

"What else was there?" Hera asked hoarsely.

"His…his clothes." Zeb managed, as Hera looked into the backpack. She gasped a little when she saw the faded green of Kanan's shirt and her hand brushed against the material lightly.

"Force," she whispered, fresh tears streaking her cheeks. She shook her head, thinking it was too much to bear. It felt like losing Kanan all over again, but she had to know it all. "Go on, Ezra," she urged in as steady a voice as she could manage.

Ezra had to push himself to continue with the story. "The vergence that's there…in the cave… is what made it possible for me to see him. As far as I could sense, he's at peace and wants us to be."

Hera sat with the lightsaber in her lap, eyes downcast as her fingertips traced the lines of it and tears dripped onto its surface. "He knows how much pain we've all been in because of losing him. We have to try and move on," Ezra continued.

"That's hard…hard to do." Hera whispered.

Zeb placed a hand on her shoulder from where he stood by her side-a show of silent support.

"He said when you're ready, he'll find a way to come to you. It took deep meditation before I could connect with him today. Every night, Hera…every night I've tried to sense him in the Force and I couldn't sense anything, but pain is such…a dark side emotion, maybe he can't while we're all feeling how we're feeling. I'm not sure."

"Did he say…anything else?" Hera looked up.

"He said there's a darkness…coming."

"What?" Hera's strangled voice hung in the air between them.

"A time of trouble. Whatever this 'darkness' is, it's clear Caleb has to be ready. Kanan said that he has to be. The **_Force_** tested him itself. I've been studying in the holocron; according to the Jedi records contained in it, this only happens with certain individuals…ones who have a special destiny. Like when Kanan first saw his master.

"He was just a temple youngling when he first saw Depa Billaba. She was in a bacta tank, badly wounded. Kanan always said that the moment was strange...like the Force bound them together the first time they saw each other, which usually doesn't happen. Force bonds typically take time to form."

"Do you have a bond like that with Caleb?" Zeb asked, still standing next to Hera's chair.

Ezra nodded. "The…the first day he and Hera were back on the _Ghost_. When I held him for the first time." He glanced to Hera. "You were asleep, and I got back late from a mission. He was about to cry, but I picked him up and held him close. In the Force, he felt so much like Kanan. I didn't really know then all that I know now, but I think that might be the moment that the Force bond first formed."

They were all quiet for a moment. Sabine leaned into Ezra's shoulder.

"Ezra. You have to train him. I see that now," Hera said softly. She thought a moment, then crossed to him, still holding Kanan's lightsaber.

Ezra got to his feet. "I will watch over him with my life, Hera. I want you to know how seriously I take this."

"I never doubted you, love," she murmured as she gave him the saber. "Kanan would want you to have this." Then she reached out with her other hand and caressed his cheek. "I may not feel like I can trust the Force…but I trust you, Ezra. I always did, and I always will."

Ezra felt the tremble in her hand as she brushed his cheek and realized Hera was holding her emotions at bay with a fragile strength. She turned away, toward her room, stopping to pick up Zeb's backpack.

"Hera…" Ezra called helplessly.

She shook her head, turning toward him just enough that he could catch the crescent edge of her profile. "I'm okay. I just…need some time, Ezra," she said softly. She brushed her hand against Zeb's shoulder and leaned into him a moment before she disappeared inside her room. Lastly, there was the soft swish of the door closing.

"She gonna be okay?" Zeb asked, glancing to Ezra.

Ezra stretched his senses out, despite the ache it caused in his head, and felt Hera's Force signature throbbing with sorrow. Her pain was like a wound in the Force, as she gave into the familiar ache of loss. "She's dealing with it, like the rest of us, I guess." Ezra said, opening his eyes.

Zeb placed a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "You ready to do this? To take on the kit as a student?"

"I have to be." Ezra said, his eyes distant. "I have to be."

* * *

Two days later, Hera landed the _Ghost_ in the spaceport on Sera, a blue planet six hyperspace jumps from Lothal. The planet was small, but it housed one of the busiest spaceports in the sector. The _Ghost_ was to pick up a shipment of moisture vaporators and bring them back to Neelsa, a desert planet along the hyperspace route back to Lothal. It was a quick job, one of the sort that they were known for completing on time.

Ezra and Caleb sat on the ramp, waiting for Hera and Zeb to return from meeting the client. Sabine was upstairs with Chopper. Hera had detected something strange in the engines during their last jump to Sera and Sabine had begun a diagnostic. The Twi'lek had an uncanny sense of when the Ghost wasn't running right. Even though it was such a slight irregularity that she couldn't put her finger on it right away, she knew her ship well enough to give Sabine a list of the systems she should test.

"What kind of ship is that one, Ezra?" Caleb pointed to the ship berthed across from them.

"That's a YT-2400." Ezra said. "It's a light freighter like ours." He frowned as he watched a shady-looking human cast a glance over his shoulder as he entered the bay, followed by an Aqualish that showed an unusual interest in them. The two of them stood at their ship's ramp, talking and watching Ezra and Caleb out of the corner of their eyes. Ezra narrowed his gaze at them, staring openly in challenge.

"How many ships has my mom flew?"

"How many ships has your mom _flown_? Just ask what ship she hasn't flown. It's a shorter list." Ezra replied, still fixated on the ship across the way. Something in the intention of the two figures nagged at him. It felt vaguely dangerous, and his hand caressed his blaster. "Your mom is one of the best pilots in the Outer Rim. She could fly anything from an X-wing to a Destroyer with her eyes closed."

"Yeah. She's amazing." Caleb said, with pride, wrapping his arms around his knees and watching the people passing. He tried to remember the names of the different races of the beings that walked by, asking Ezra if he saw one that he didn't know.

Ezra answered absently, still stretching out his Force senses across the way, but he could determine nothing. The two beings had gone inside, but he still felt uneasy about the crew that had berthed across from them. Was this just obsessing over security again, or a real threat? He grimaced, feeling foolish and hating it. He knew the term that the psychiatrists would use for this: hypervigilance. It was always worse when they went off-world. Most of the time he managed to hide it well enough that Hera and Sabine didn't notice.

"Think we could go look for parts for my…" Cale lowered his voice, " _lightsaber_ today?" His excitement welled up and he couldn't keep the smile off of his face.

"We'll see. Right now, Hera wants us to wait for her return." Ezra said absently, standing up and waiting for Caleb to follow him. "Let's go check on Sabine and Chopper. Maybe we can pick up some dinner if we go out."

"Takeout?! I want Fodu with green fire sauce!"

Caleb loved spicy food, just like Kanan had, and the thought made Ezra grin. "Of course, you do. I think I'll have that too."

They climbed to the upper level after Ezra keyed the ramp to close.

"Why'd you close the ramp?" Caleb asked, looking over his shoulder as he climbed the ladder.

"No reason." Ezra murmured, not wanting to alarm the boy. "Chopper'll let us know when Hera and Zeb get close."

This was only the third job Caleb had gone with them on, and of the first two, one had been to Garel and the other back to Yavin. That was probably the reason he was so jumpy, Ezra rationalized. Sera wasn't known to be the safest place; it drew all kinds of riff-raff and scum, so much so that Zeb wouldn't even allow Hera or Sabine to go anywhere alone. Even though they'd protested, they'd finally agreed. Even though the New Republic was now in power, it meant little in parts of the Outer Rim where slavers, pirates and smugglers operated. Female Twi'leks were in the most danger in places like this, due to the slave trade. It was not that they thought Hera wasn't able to handle herself. She'd been very vocal in telling them that she'd been fine in the Outer Rim long before she'd had such militant bodyguards, but eventually she relented.

Sabine came out of the engine room. "I think we need to replace an alluvial damper. It shouldn't be impossible to get a hold of one here."

Ezra nodded. "How about comm Hera and find out what she wants us to do?"

"Sure," Sabine replied.

"Caleb, it's time for afternoon meditation."

"Okay." The boy led Ezra into his room, Kanan's old quarters. Ezra still couldn't get over that Caleb had taken so easily to meditation. When he, himself, had been twice as old as Caleb, he'd had trouble sitting still long enough to connect with the Force, but the kid had an uncanny ability to quiet his mind and body during meditation.

They had started meditating twice a day for ten minutes each time, but Ezra had quickly realized that Caleb could sit for twice as long. Time would tell if the "newness" of "Jedi training" would wear off and boredom would assert itself or not. Either way, Ezra was prepared.

He lowered the lights to half as Caleb sat on the floor cross-legged. "Hands." He gestured. Caleb moved his hands into a mudra for concentration and Ezra nodded, letting his own eyes slip closed. "Good. Just focus on sensing the Force and using it to feel the world around you. Can you find Sabine?"

Caleb nodded, a smile on his features. Slowly, they began to sense beings walking down the main corridor in the star port. Force signatures, dim and bright became apparent as they expanded their focus.

The two continued in this way as time passed. When Caleb began to lose his concentration, Ezra brought their session to an end.

"How did I do?" Caleb asked.

"You wiggled like a tooka stalking a grasshopper, but pretty good." Ezra winked at him to let the boy know he was teasing. "We'll keep practicing. But now, it's time to take a break. Let's go see when your mom'll be back."


	7. Chapter 7

7

Hera gave them the location of a parts/repair shop that was near the starport. She and Zeb were heading back from the meet with the client and offered to get dinner on the way back if Ezra and Sabine would check out the shop.

Ezra smiled at Sabine as Caleb jumped up and down, excited that he might possibly find some components for his own lightsaber. They hadn't started lightsaber training yet, but when they did, Ezra planned on letting Caleb train with his father's lightsaber until the kid was able to build his own.

"Go grab a jacket." Ezra called to him. "It's cooling off out there."

* * *

As they exited the _Ghost_ , Ezra couldn't help a suspicious glance across the way again. The ship was still where it had been, but this time there were no beings eyeballing him from the ramp. Maybe he had just imagined the uneasy feeling from earlier.

They entered the large starship parts shop and even Caleb was quiet, his eyes taking in the tall rows and rows of mechanical parts. "Where would the alluvial dampers be?" Sabine asked. She followed the Rodian employee down an aisle, while Ezra and Caleb went towards a large bin, filled with various bits and parts.

"How do you know which part to get?" Caleb asked softly as he glanced around. The only person he saw was an older man who was not near enough to overhear them, but he still spoke just a little bit above a whisper.

"I can't really answer that. Kanan told me that every Padawan had to feel their own way when building their lightsaber. You've seen the parts that made up mine. Maybe start there?" He suggested, watching with interest as Caleb peered over the side of the bin and began picking through the parts. It took about ten minutes for Caleb to find three pieces: a power insulator, power vortex ring and field energizer.

While the kid picked through the bin, Ezra saw a new individual enter the aisle. The shopper was younger than Ezra, perhaps in his early 20's, dressed as a typical spacer. He nodded once to Ezra, the universal symbol of acknowledgment between males, then his eyes slid to Caleb. Ezra sensed surprise from him. The individual looked a bit too long for Ezra's liking, but then he turned abruptly and headed down another aisle. During his short life, Caleb had drawn stares from plenty of people due to the combination of his brown hair and lekku. Some of it was just simply surprise or honest interest, but Ezra, who grew up on the streets, was all too aware of how often children were snatched for purposes he couldn't even bear to dwell on. And a Twi'lek child? With lekku, as well as brown hair? Suddenly Ezra felt nauseous.

"What happened?" Caleb said in a whisper.

Ezra realized he was allowing his unease to flood through his Force signature, and Caleb was picking up on it. "Nothing." Ezra said, "I just thought I saw someone familiar. Get what you need?"

"I think so." Caleb nodded.

"Good. Let's go find Sabine."

They turned around and went back the way they had come and found Sabine looking for them. "You guys need anything else?" She smiled at Caleb who was holding what could only be components for his lightsaber, but her smile faded when she saw Ezra looking over his shoulder. All day, he had seemed stressed but trying to hide it. "Ezra?" she gently questioned.

"Yeah?" he turned back and met her eyes. He was definitely distracted, and she felt a spike of worry. He'd had a hard week. She found herself wishing that they'd put this trip off a little, to let him get his equilibrium back. The panic attack about Maul, finding him unconscious in what she now thought of as Kanan's cave, then all the strain with Hera and now training Caleb. It was a lot at once, and she couldn't help being worried. Showing it, however, was tricky. Sometimes he needed to lean on her, then other times he hated himself for being weak, as he saw it. This would require some careful negotiation.

"I think we're ready to go, if you are," she said gently.

He nodded, placing a hand on Cale's shoulder and guiding him along after Sabine. "Yeah, we're ready."

They paid the shopkeeper and headed out the door. It had indeed gotten colder and when they turned down the alleyway, Sabine stopped to fasten Caleb's coat.

Ezra was the first to sense the two men tailing them. Their keen interest made his skin prickle as they entered the alleyway. With a smooth motion, his lightsaber flew into his hand, hidden by the sleeve of his coat. He slid between Sabine and Caleb and the men, his back still to the possible assailants, but with the full power of his Force precognition focused on them.

The two men never knew what hit them. They took a few steps forward, and Ezra used the Force to toss one against the far wall. The other one was thrown against the opposite wall and held there with his lightsaber. Ezra recognized both of them as the men from the parts store.

"Who are you?" Ezra growled.

"Please…" the younger man whispered in fear, both hands up. "We were just walking…"

"Ezra…" Sabine spoke near his ear. She'd drawn her Westar and thrown an arm across Caleb's shoulder and chest protectively as she glanced at both men.

"They were watching us in the store, Sabine," Ezra spoke, his voice low and tight.

Sabine narrowed her eyes at the men who were claiming to be innocent, and waited, covering Ezra with her Westar.

"Why are you following us?" Ezra threw the man back again with the Force, pinning him against the wall.

"We're not. We're not. I swear. Our ship's in the spaceport, and we were just heading back that way. It has a bad motivator."

"So why didn't you buy one?" Sabine asked suspiciously, seeing their empty hands.

"Our ship's a junker. Old and hard to find parts for," the older man said. "Please let us go. I'm…I'm so sorry if we scared you."

Ezra dropped his saber but still appeared unconvinced. He could feel the two men were lying, but he could also feel their fear. "You don't want to see us again," he said, using a mind-trick to make sure that the sleemos would want to get as far away from them as possible.

"We don't want to see you again." The man against the wall spoke in a dulled voice.

"If I see you again, I'm going to slash first and ask questions later. Understand?"

The two men nodded, and backed out of the alley, keeping their eyes on Ezra the whole time.

Sabine heaved a sigh, then glanced down to see a stricken look on Caleb's face. "It's okay, Cale." She leaned down and kissed him on the top of the head.

Ezra was staring after the two men, but once they were gone, he turned his attention to Sabine and Caleb. They were okay, and he tried to focus on that; even though Caleb's Force signature showed fear. "Ezra. Wh-who were they?"

Ezra knelt and wrapped both arms around the boy, reassuring himself that the kid was safe. "I…I'm not sure, but I don't think they were up to anything good. But we're okay. Let's head home."

"I could feel bad stuff coming from them." Caleb said.

"You did?" Ezra glanced up at Sabine, who looked concerned. "Well, that's good. One of the things a Jedi does is sense trouble before it happens. It means your focus is getting better." Ezra stood up and placed a hand on Caleb's shoulder.

"I don't know what they were up to, but I think they were up to no good too." Sabine said, glancing the way the two men had gone. "That place had all kinds of parts, even used. If they **were** looking for a hyperspace motivator, they could have found one in there."

"Let's get back home." Ezra said softly. Sabine reached out for Caleb's hand and together, they made their way back to the _Ghost_. As they reached their bay, Ezra glanced across the way to the ship that had given him such an uneasy feeling earlier in the day, but it was gone.

* * *

"So, what do you want to do?" The younger man asked the older one. They had gone back to the parts store and stood outside, talking in low voices.

"I say we just get out of here. He didn't tell us there would be a Jedi, and that's banthashit." The older man said, stroking his beard. "I can see why he was interested in the kid though. Little half-tailhead boy would bring a pretty good price on Nal Hutta."

"Yeah, well, he can find somebody else to do it. I'm not kriffin' with no Jedi." The younger man snorted. "I might be dumb, but I ain't that dumb."

* * *

Sabine woke up in the middle of the night to find herself in bed alone. She and Ezra slept in her old room; they'd made some modifications to the bunk to make it larger, but other than that, the room was much the same as it had been when they were teenagers on the ship. Zeb and Hera had kept their own rooms and Caleb, of course, took Kanan's room next to Hera's.

There had been a lot of discussion about the possibility of leaving Sera early. Ezra didn't like the idea of staying; apparently the strangers and the ship across the way had unnerved him. However, he knew it was important to follow through with the contract they'd taken. Hera asked him what the Force was telling him to do, but he'd said it wasn't warning him one way or the other, so in the end, they'd made the decision to stay. Hera had left Chopper on guard duty, monitoring the sensors. He was to wake the crew immediately if he so much as saw another being step a foot in their bay.

It was the middle of the night, so either Ezra couldn't sleep, or was having a sleepwalking episode. Sabine got up and wandered into the hallway, then checked the common room. Sometimes she'd find Ezra in there, slumped over a cup of caf, but this time, it was empty. She located him in the cockpit, standing on silent guard in the night cycle lights of the Ghost. His lightsaber hilt was in his hand, held idly by his side, as he gazed out into the darkened spaceport.

Chopper warbled softly, telling Sabine that Ezra had been this way for two hours. In the old days, he would have made a crack about Ezra needing a battery change, but time had mellowed their lovable murder droid, and he had a habit of keeping a watchful eye out for Ezra at night. One time, when Ezra had a particularly bad one, he'd followed the Jedi to the _Ghost_ , and watched over him while he commed Sabine to let her know.

"Cyar'ika," she said gently. "It's cold. Come back to bed."

"I'm trying to find…something," a crease appeared on his forehead as he stared out of the viewport, his eyes searching the darkness.

She took his cold fingertips in her own, trying to sense if he was truly awake or sleepwalking. Often it was hard to tell. He didn't grasp her hand back, a sign that he was in some sort of dream or trance state.

"Find what? Ezra. What are you trying to find?" she asked gently.

"I don't know," his voice took on a note of distress, "but it's everywhere…" His eyes were huge, his pupils large in the dark as he searched for something she couldn't see. For a moment, it felt like they were back on Hoth and she was fighting to pull him out of a panicked state. "The dark is coming, only I can't see it…It feels like it's everywhere, but I can't see..."

Battle scars. They all had them. She was well aware that his sense of protectiveness was driven by his fear of losing them. He'd never quite gone back to the same person he was before Kanan had died. That Ezra had believed that everything would always turn out alright. The Ezra he'd become was terrified of losing them. He would sacrifice anything to keep them all safe.

He lowered his head, taking a shaky breath. Her fingertips went to his cheek and trailed down it. "Ezra, love. It's okay." Her hand fell to his shoulder and squeezed it. "Come back for me…please."

He began to come awake under her touch. "Sabine?" He looked confused, then his face darkened as he realized he'd been sleepwalking again. "Kriff. I'm sorry." He went to rub his face with both hands and realized he was holding his lightsaber. He looked around worriedly. "Did I…Did I wake anyone this time?"

She took his free hand in hers once more. "No. Everything's okay. Come back to bed."

When they were settled back under the blankets, she snugged up against him, trying to warm his cold skin with her own. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head, leaning forward to kiss her on the top of the head. He left his cheek pressed there as she settled down against him, wrapping one arm over his chest. Knowing he could feel it, she closed her eyes and focused on how much she loved him and trusted him. When he wrapped both arms over her, she knew his mind began to settle down. The tension in his body relaxed; however, it was a long time before he could go back to sleep.

* * *

Ezra seemed a lot more relaxed when they reached Neelsa with the shipment the next day. There were a couple of reasons for that; one, they were close to home and two, Neelsa was a safer port than Sera.

It was a simple operation. They offloaded the shipment, accepted payment, and headed back home.

On the way home during their last hyperspace jump, Hera found her son sitting at the table, staring at a pair of dice. He'd finished his schoolwork a little while ago and was now intently focused on the two tiny objects on the table.

"What are you doing, little one?" She asked, sliding into the seat beside him.

"Trying to move them." Caleb whispered, not taking his eyes from the dice.

"Did Ezra tell you to…"

"Yeah." Caleb answered. "I have to be able to move things before we can work on Force pushes."

Hera found her own gaze caught by the pair of metallic dice, and she began to stare as well, wondering if they were going to move. Caleb had moved things before, when he was a toddler having a tantrum, but this was different, she sensed. "How's training going? I know you've been meditating with Ezra everyday."

"Yeah. It's good. Meditating is easy."

"He's pretty good at it." Ezra came in the common area with mussed hair and rumpled clothes. Sabine had said they were up late the previous night, and so the Jedi had taken a nap and slept through their last jump.

Hera watched him go to make some caf. "Want a cup, Hera?"

"Sounds great," she called back, "but should I leave or something? I'd hate to be a distraction."

"Nah. He's going to have to be able to deal with distraction." Ezra had gotten everything settled and pressed start on the caf machine. He turned to glance over his shoulder at Caleb, who had his head inclined and his lekku stiff with attention.

"You're trying too hard." Ezra said finally, bringing two cups of caf over. He placed a hand on Caleb's head and ruffled his hair before went back into the kitchen, and came back with another mug. This one he set in front of Caleb.

"Time for a break," he said to Caleb. "Hot chocolate…so be careful."

"Yes, Master." Caleb took the mug in both hands and blew softly on the contents before trying an experimental sip. "It's really good."

Ezra smiled affectionately. He was tired. He hadn't meant to sleep so long, but knowing they were on their way home did a great deal to soothe the anxiety he'd been feeling.

The kid had been working at this for a while, he could tell. He'd set the practice task before the kid to test his perseverance and he was pleasantly surprised, even though there had not yet been results. "Are we almost back to Lothal?"

"About an hour left." Hera assured him, and took another sip of Ezra's caf. It was good, almost as good as Kanan's.

"Okay. That's plenty of time, then." Ezra leaned forward. "Caleb. I want you to try this. Look at the dice. Concentrate on them." He waited until Caleb moved his cup to the side and re-centered his attention on the dice. "Now look at where you want them to be, and **push** **them** in that direction."

Caleb looked up at him with confusion.

"Okay. Try this. Watch me. Pay attention to what happens with the Force when I move them, okay? Ready?"

Caleb nodded. Hera watched, fascinated. She realized that while she saw nothing, they saw the flow of the Force. She wondered, as she'd frequently done in the past, what it was like to experience the universe in such a different way.

Ezra didn't even close his eyes, he simply made a small gesture with his hand in the direction he wanted the dice to go and they rolled that way.

"Did you see?"

Caleb nodded. He steadied himself then did the exact same thing as Ezra did. The dice rolled a bit more forcefully to slam up against Hera's cup, which she steadied just in time.

"Good. Control over it will come with practice. Try it a few more times."

He and Hera watched as Caleb began to tumble the dice back and forth across the table. "He's a quick learner," Ezra said to Hera, with obvious pride. "Give me just a second."

When the Jedi returned, he had Kanan's holocron in his hand. "Caleb…before your father started training me, I uh…" He glanced to Hera, not wanting to be untruthful. "I guess you would say I stole this."

"You…you were a thief?" Caleb's eyes went wide.

"Um…yeah, I guess you might say that. My parents were taken away by the Empire when I was seven. I had to steal to survive."

Caleb's brow furrowed. "Wait. You were seven. Where did you live? Who tucked you in at night if your parents were gone?"

Ezra started to answer, but Hera interrupted with a hand on Caleb's arm. "He didn't have anyone to do that, sweetheart. Ezra lived on the streets, and had to do what he could to survive. So please don't think he was a bad person…I saw he had a good heart from the first time I met him." She glanced over to Ezra and smiled gently. "I guess Kanan never told you, Ezra. The holocron was a test."

"Really?" Ezra's eyebrow went up.

"He set you up to steal it. If you could open it, then he would know you were Force-sensitive and then invite you to stay with us to be trained." Hera looked down at the jewel-like box in her son's hands. "It was part my idea, and part his idea. And when you opened the holocron, we knew."

Ezra blushed and looked down as she took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Ezra?" Caleb began. "What happened to your parents? Did they ever come back?"

Ezra shook his head sadly. "No, Cale. They didn't. The Empire killed them."

Caleb slid around the booth until he was sitting beside Ezra. Then the boy threw his arms around his teacher. "I'm sorry."

He hugged his Padawan back, looking at Hera over Cale's head. The love they both felt for the little boy was apparent in the gaze they shared. "It's okay, Caleb. I lost a family, but I gained one too." When Caleb finally let him go, Ezra went on. "The reason I wanted to tell you about the holocron is that we're going to start using it more. Jedi Master Depa Billaba gave it to Kanan as you know, and then it passed to me. One day it will pass to you. For now, however, your job is to figure out how to open it. When you do that, I'll know you're ready to move to the next level."

"I will work hard on it, Master." Caleb said, holding it reverently.

"I know you will." Ezra said, reaching up to ruffle his hair gently.

* * *

A month later, they celebrated Caleb's 8th birthday. And by late summer on Lothal, life had settled into a predictable rhythm. Ezra and Caleb had begun lightsaber training; Caleb was working with Kanan's saber in training mode. They began working on the rudiments of saber form one, and Hera found herself watching the two of them more and more while they would spar in the front yard.

Early evening was falling while she was talking to Zeb. The two of them were discussing their next few jobs off planet when Zeb looked up from his datapad to watch Ezra and Caleb. Her kid had just thrown up a hand and pushed Ezra back five feet. Hera found herself grinning at Caleb's unexpected move. She'd been keeping a watchful eye on the Jedi training at first, but throughout the months since she'd agreed to it, she'd realized something. Caleb was growing by leaps and bounds, and becoming exactly what he was meant to be under Ezra's gentle, steady guidance. He was more like Kanan everyday, and instead of making her sad, the thought was becoming a comfort to her. A guarantee that everything Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Knight, had been would carry on in their child. Caleb realizing his full potential…it was all she could ever ask for. And Ezra. She couldn't have been more proud. He was such a great teacher. When the Jedi was instructing Caleb, Hera would find herself hearing some of the same phrases that Kanan had used when teaching Ezra. The thought that Kanan's teaching was impacting her son, even today, made her turn away in tears on more than one occasion.

"Oh! So it's gonna be like that, huh?" Ezra said, getting to his feet with a grin. The kid had surprised him with that move. He pushed the Force forward and Caleb was carried back at least ten feet. Always careful, Ezra used the Force at the last minute to cushion the impact so the boy wasn't seriously hurt as he fell back in the grass.

But Caleb laid there a moment, not moving, and Ezra made his way over with concern. "You okay, Padawan?"

Caleb opened one eye and began to giggle and kick his feet. "Tricked you, Master!"

"Oh, okay. See if I pull my punches next time!" Ezra reached down and pulled the boy to his feet, then began tickling him before trying to wrestle him into a headlock.

Hera and Zeb were both laughing at their antics when Ezra and Caleb immediately quit playing and did a quick 180. Coming around from the nearest rock spire, was a white Loth-wolf. Ezra found himself throwing an arm across the eight-year-old, protectively holding him close.

Hera and Zeb stood up as well, eyes wide. "Ezra?" she called softly, fear in her tone.

Five Loth-wolves appeared in all, padding silently toward them. They stopped just short of the house, the lead Loth-wolf followed by two sets of two wolves each. There was a final creature to close the circle of them at the base.

As if the other wolves were only reflections of the first, they all turned their heads at one time to face Hera.

Zeb took Hera's hand, and they stood there, frozen in place, until the wolf spoke.

**HERA**

She let out a shaky breath and squeezed Zeb's hand.

Ezra and Caleb had been edging toward the house. Ezra whispered to Caleb and the boy ran to Hera and promptly attached himself to her side.

Ezra held out a hand toward the wolves and they swung their heads toward him a moment, then back to Hera.

**HERA,** the lead wolf said, focusing its yellow eyes on her.

"Hera, you need to come out." Ezra said, his eyes closed.

Hera felt herself shaking as she let Zeb's hand go and looked at Caleb, whom she had her arm around. "Spectre Seven," she said softly. "S-Stay with Zeb, no matter what, okay?"

Caleb didn't like it, but he slowly nodded. "Okay."

She kissed him on the head and then walked out to where Ezra stood.

"W-why are they here, Ezra?"

He shook his head, still keeping his hand out…connecting to the wolves. He could detect no malice or violence in their Force signatures. "There's nothing in their Force signatures that would make me think that you're in danger."

She nodded. "What do I do?"

"We'll go together." Ezra said, taking her hand. Together they drew closer to the golden-eyed creatures who were so still. As they stood in front of the lead wolf, the others rearranged themselves until they were in a circle around Ezra and Hera.

"It's okay. You're okay." Ezra said softly, trying to calm Hera. He could feel her tremors through his touch on her hand.

The giant white wolf leaned close to Hera and took a great sniff as she flinched. Ezra felt satisfaction from the animal, as if the wolf had found what he was looking for. His head bowed, the wolf spoke one last time.

**HERA**

When the wolf spoke, his breath brushed Hera's face and her eyes rolled back at once. She began to fall, but Ezra's reflexes were so fast he caught her before she hit the ground and he lowered her gently to the grass.

He looked up at the large, mystical creature with wide eyes.

- _Safe_ — This time, the word was in his mind instead of out loud, but he still understood. Hera was safe, the wolf was telling him, wherever her consciousness was.

"Momma!" There was a yell from Zeb and Caleb's direction.

"Stay there, Spectre Seven. She's okay. I promise." Ezra sank down to the grass, laid a hand over her forehead and tried to connect with her. However, she was surrounded in a halo of light that he could neither see into or pass through. The sense of her _safety_ was confirmed once more, however.

There was more commotion from their house and he knew Sabine had come out. She began to run out, toward them before Zeb could catch her. The wolves reacted by looking at her and growling low in their chests-a warning to stay back.

"Ezra!" Sabine cried.

"Sabine. Go back. We're okay. Stay with Zeb, okay?" Ezra made eye contact with her.

She nodded, backing away slowly, and Ezra returned his attention to Hera. Her eyes were moving quickly under her closed lids, and her breaths were deep and heavy. He reached for her pulse and found that her heart was beating fast. "Hang in there Hera." He whispered as he glanced up at the Loth-wolves surrounding them. "I'm right here."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. If it's been a little since you checked in on this story, I've been posting 1-2 chapters a day so you may have missed something...make sure to catch up!  
> Thanks for the love this story has gotten. I'm busily at work on Chapter 15, right now.  
> OH--I always like to know what people listen to while they are writing a certain story. The scenes between Kanan and the crew were heavily influenced by Pink Floyd's album "Wish You Were Here." Especially the songs "Wish You Were Here" and "Shine on You Crazy Diamond." It's an epic album.

Chapter 8

Hera was alone on the windswept grassland. Above, the sky had changed into something like spangled black Coruscanti velvet. The stars looked unnatural and close enough to touch as they sparkled and twinkled. The house was behind her, and in front of her one white Loth-wolf stood where the short grass around the house ended and the grassland began again.

"I don't know what you want from me," she called. Where had Ezra gone? Where were Caleb, Sabine and Zeb? Why was she all alone? She wrapped her arms around herself tightly, suddenly afraid.

The wolf simply looked in her direction, then its eyes made contact with something behind her. Hera felt her skin prickle as she realized someone was behind her, watching her.

She turned and he was there.

Kanan. It was Kanan…

She stumbled back, her eyes wide.

He reached out and caught her by the hand before she could fall, and he pulled her up, into his arms.

"Careful, Hera," he said. His voice was so warm and amazingly alive that Hera was sure she was simply dreaming. Her free hand went up to her mouth, covering it in shock. She looked down at his hand touching hers, and realized it was as warm as she remembered. His hands had always been callused from saber practice or physical work, and she felt the rough texture against her palm.

"I wasn't trying to scare you," he said softly. She felt the brightness of his gaze on her and lifted her eyes to take in his face. She was still too stunned to speak. "Please say something," he murmured. "I could never get enough of your voice…and we don't have that long together…"

Suddenly they were in that alleyway on Gorse, the night they'd first met. Hera looked around her in shock, then she returned to his teal blue eyes. Bluish-green. Brilliant and shining. He had a look of slight amusement on his face, as if he knew all the mysteries in the universe, but that look melted to concern by her tears. "Kanan…" She choked up, eyes glassy with a sheen of tears.

He wrapped her in his arms, and she felt the scruff of his beard against her forehead. One hand rested familiarly in the small of her back, and she felt something break within her. She shut her eyes against the tears as he spoke. "I'm sorry, Hera. I'm so, so sorry, love."

Her first few breaths were violent sobs against his chest. It seemed like all the grief she had was concentrated in that one moment, ripping out her heart. She cried it all out, her emotions a riptide, pulling her further and further out; however, his soft touch brought her back.

Finally, she took a deep shuddering breath and stepped back to wipe her face, but it did no good, the tears kept falling. "Oh…I love you…" she breathed.

"I know." He moved his hands to wipe her tears away with his thumbs, and he smiled in that quiet way that she remembered. "I love you too."

"This can't be real…" She managed with a shaky breath, trying to manage her overwhelming emotions as she looked up at him.

"It's as real as I can make it for you," he replied. "You're different than Caleb and Ezra, so…I had to find another way." The scene shifted and they were in the cockpit of the Ghost, adrift in a purple nebula. She let out a little cry at the sudden setting change, but he wrapped an arm around her to support her. "Sorry," he said. "This takes a lot of focus…and it's not something that's easy. I keep slipping by accident…"

"Where are we?" She whispered, looking around.

"This is like a dream, halfway between the real world and the Force. It's a place I was able to create for you from my memories."

"Your eyes…" She couldn't get over the crystal-clear blue-green of them.

"All things are made right in the Force," he said softly. "After Maul…I missed seeing you. So much," his eyes were full of emotion as he trailed his fingers down her cheek.

"You could always see me," she replied, her eyes glassy with tears once more. She'd said those words before, and she still meant them.

"I was able to come to you because your heart is light again." He settled his arms back around her. "You had so much sadness and anger…"

"I was never angry with you…"

He nodded, and kissed her forehead. "I know." His fingers intertwined more tightly with hers and a sudden gleam of pleasure began to shine in his eyes. He grinned as he said, "Caleb…Oh Hera, he's amazing. We made a beautiful child. You've raised him so well. Thank you for allowing Ezra to train him."

"Ezra loves him. You should see the two of them together…it reminds me of you and Ezra." She paused and looked up, smiling gently, but her smile faded quickly. "I didn't know that you knew about him before you…left us." She hadn't even known she was pregnant at the time he'd disappeared…and she'd always ached to tell him. Knowing that he had been aware of his son did even more to lighten her heart.

"The Force showed me his existence…the night I had to let you all go." Suddenly the setting around them shifted and they were standing in the cave, next to a gigantic Kyber crystal brilliant with green light that threw shadows on their faces. "I saw many things that night," he became solemn, "and I need to tell you the rest of it…while I have the chance, so that you won't have it on your heart anymore."

She nodded, ready to listen. He took both her hands before he continued.

"I was offered a chance to save Lothal, by the Force. I was headed to save you when I was shown both paths in the Force and where they would lead. I could have come and saved you, and the planet would have fallen, and I would have become everything that I feared. Or…I could let go, and have faith in Ezra to save you while I…did what was required. A sacrifice or selfishness…this was the choice the Force laid in front of me. It was a crucial moment.

"I could see that if I chose selfishly, my guilt would have changed me into…something horrible."

The scene changed. They were on Lothal, she could sense, but its surface was a lot like it had been when they had returned that last time. Polluted and burning, the stench stung in her nostrils. As Hera looked up, she saw a figure in dark robes standing in the cave entrance above them. Golden eyes gleamed from inside its hood as it scoured the landscape with its gaze, looming like some huge black vulture.

"Kanan…" She began, but he went on.

"The guilt would have gnawed away at any goodness I had left, and I would have fallen to the dark." It was then she realized what he was showing her. When the figure pulled down its hood, she could see that was Kanan. But it was Kanan like she'd never imagined. His features were scarred-starting at one temple then across his nose and down his cheek to his neck. His previously milky eyes glowed with a sick yellow light, and there was such an anger there…she shuddered and buried her face against Kanan's chest.

"I can't…" she looked up and searched his face earnestly.

"I would have killed each of you in trying to save you. I would have tried to hold you to me and crushed you in my possessiveness. You would have died hating and fearing what I'd become." In describing his dark side, his eyes had gone dark, reflecting the black of an endless night. She was frightened and began to take a step back. As his eyes turned back to their clear ocean blue, he closed his arms around her and brought her close again, one hand brushing down the back of her lekku gently. "I wanted to stay with you, Ezra, Sabine and Zeb. I wanted to hold my child…but not at such a cost."

Tears shone in his eyes. Slowly, the stench of Lothal faded again around them and they were in a featureless dark that extended into infinity. A light suddenly began to glow around the two of them, and his face softened.

"My love for you and the others made my choice the easiest choice of all. I placed my trust in the Force, and in Ezra…I loved you enough to let you go."

"I…think I understand," she whispered.

His mouth brushed hers as he kissed her gently. When his attention faltered, the scene switched again. This time they were standing outside the Ghost, where she'd kissed him last. "I'm sorry, but our time is growing short, Hera."

"No…" She realized that he was tiring, as the setting around them shimmered, trembled, and attempted to become steady once more. She clung to him with everything she had, as if her grip on him could transcend death. "There's not enough time..."

"Letting you go was the hardest thing I've ever done. No amount of time with you would ever be enough." He took her face in both of his hands and kissed her gently. She could feel how warm and alive he was; she could even smell the scent of the soap he'd always used, and that one fact by itself was enough to unravel her composure.

Overcome with emotion, as well, he went on, "I will always love you, Hera Syndulla. Tell me you know that." Now tears were slipping down his face and she kissed away the taste of salt on his lips.

"I do." She breathed. "I love you, Kanan." The landscape around them changed again several times, too fast for her to grasp, then she knew they were standing in the Great Hall of the Jedi Temple. She didn't know how she could be so sure, but she knew it without a doubt. This was his childhood home as he remembered it, and she found herself awed at its beauty. Shafts of sunlight poured in from high windows, making glowing pools of light on the floor.

"I can hold this place a little longer." Kanan said. He stood looking into her green eyes longingly, as if he was loath to give her up, now that he could see her again.

"I'll never see you again, w-will I?" Her voice faltered on the last words.

"We'll be together again at the end." The landscape around them trembled, but held a moment longer. "Don't be afraid; I'll come for you when it's time, Hera; you won't be alone." She nodded, tears escaping her efforts to hold them back, and he went on, "The love we feel…goes far beyond the crude matter of our physical forms, and it cannot be sundered, even by death. Let your heart be at peace. I am with the Force, Hera, and all things are made right in its Light."

"I love you," she murmured. The image of the temple around them shimmered and dissolved. His features became lined with light, and she realized she was seeing him as he was now. The light grew and the luminous Force shining through him became too brilliant to look at, and she closed her eyes against its brightness.

She opened them on a velvet purple sky, where tiny silver sequins glittered. The sun had gone down and there was a slight chill in the air that made her shiver.

"Hera?" At first, she thought the voice was Kanan's, but as she glanced up she saw that Ezra had her head pillowed on his knee and he was holding her hand. "Are you alright—"

She sat up immediately. "Ezra…It was Kanan."

Ezra started to ask a question, but all the wolves stood up at that very moment. Hera looked at them with wide eyes. They all swung their heads in, met her eyes and then turned and left. The lead wolf leaned in slowly, keeping her gaze, then rubbed his head against her shoulder. Then it snorted, turned and followed its packmates.

"I take it that…that's a good sign?" Ezra raised an eyebrow.

Hera looked up at him and wiped away her tears. "Yeah…" she shook her head in amazement.

She and Ezra watched as Caleb came up, holding Zeb and Sabine's hand. His face was pale and full of worry. "Momma? Are you okay?" Caleb threw himself into her arms and she hugged him.

"Yes, little one." She hugged Caleb to her.

"You're crying…" Caleb said softly.

"They're happy tears, Cale." She kissed him on the top of his head.

"What happened?" Sabine asked, also crouching down near Hera with wide eyes. The Loth-wolves were a clear sign that the Force was involved in this…whatever it was.

"Something…amazing." Hera whispered into the top of Caleb's head, hugging him tighter. "I saw Kanan…"

Sabine locked eyes with Ezra and the Jedi nodded. "Feel like walking?" He asked Hera.

She nodded and allowed Ezra to help her to her feet and back to the house.

* * *

 

Ezra followed Zeb through the marketplace in Capital City. After the fall of the Empire, Lothal had begun to flourish once more, and so the market was back to the way he remembered it from being a child. There were imported goods from all over the galaxy—Chalactan silk, zingbee honey, Meiloruins…almost anything people could want. There were baskets of fresh Lothalian-grown jogans and spine tree saplings, which people were re-planting on Lothal to counter the damage the Empire had caused. It was hoped that one day there would be forests of spine wood again; to Ezra, it was a symbol for the people of Lothal, and it lifted his sprits just to think that Lothal might one day be like it had been when his parents grew up here.

As they passed by one such seller's stall, Ezra stopped to run a finger over the needles of a little sapling. The scent that arose was crisp and fresh, and he stood there taking it in, his eyes closed at the memory of his mother making tea when he was a child.

"Kid?" Zeb had realized that Ezra had stopped, so he came back.

Ezra sighed contentedly as he glanced up at the Lasat. "I was just thinking how things are returning back to normal. It's not even been ten years, but Lothal is slowly going back to the way it used to be." He began to follow Zeb again as the Lasat kept pace with him.

"Yeah. It's a good sign, huh?" Zeb raised an eyebrow as he began pushing the suspensor crate through the marketplace.

"I think so." Ezra murmured, then smiled wryly. "It's also nice not to see bucketheads on every corner."

"You can say that again. I'll get the rations." Zeb stopped at one stall and purchased the spacer's rations that Hera had requested to restock the Ghost.

Ezra waited by the suspensor crate and noticed new shops on nearby streets. It was market day for most and the city seemed to be teeming with life. It was comforting in a way, and it seemed to echo the way things were going for the Ghost crew.

Hera seemed to be more at peace since Kanan had found a way to appear to her. From what the Twi'lek had told the rest of them on that night a few weeks ago, the Jedi had manipulated the Force and allowed Hera to see what she saw. And it had to be demanding on him, because of the way Hera had described the appearance of the different settings and Kanan's struggle to hold her there. At the end, his strength at maintaining that reality had failed and he had disappeared, but not before setting her heart at ease that he was okay, and that they would be together again.

Thank you, Master, for helping her, he thought, bowing his head a moment. When he and Caleb had seen what Ezra could only think to call a "Force ghost," Hera's heart had begun to change. When she'd seen him for herself, the transformation had seemed to be complete. There was a different look in Hera's eyes now; it was as if the embattled woman had finally come home from the war at last. There was finally a chance for a future that she had given up on. He'd easily felt her gratefulness in the Force that he and Caleb had each other, and she now seemed completely supportive of their training. He'd taken it slow at first, however, making sure that Hera was aware of what kind of training he was putting Caleb through and just generally keeping her informed.

He seemed to feel the Force's vibration around him, signifying approval, and he lifted his head just as Zeb came from the stall and tossed the purchases inside the crate. "Last thing on my list is that oil for Chopper's oil bath, right? Then I'll comm Hera and the others and we can get lunch somewhere. I'm starved."

Ezra nodded. The approval in the Force began to change, almost like a current. It reversed strangely, which caused Ezra to stop and look around.

"What is it?" Zeb asked, a low note to his voice, as he picked up on the sudden change in the Jedi.

"Not sure…" Ezra closed his eyes and could sense the Force being drawn away, toward a nexus somewhere behind them. It seemed to scream that something was wrong. "Something's happening…" It was then that Ezra realized the Force was doing exactly what it did when a darksider was around. A cold spike of fear stabbed him.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of screams coming from the city center. There was a crashing, and the sound of the movement of a crowd of beings. Then, in the middle of it all, a sudden thrumming of fear in the bond he shared with Caleb. More frightened screams traveled through the air.

"It's Caleb. I can feel his fear. Zeb…" Ezra looked into Zeb's eyes in a barely controlled panic. "We've got to find him."

Zeb slid his crate to one of the vendors near them. "Hold this." He called as he and Ezra began to fight their way, against the crowd, toward the city center. "Don't worry. We'll find him," he called as they ran.

As they reached the City Center, they saw that three blurrgs that had been for sale had turned on their owners and were now lashing out at anyone in the crowd that they could reach. A Rodian and a human had been trampled down, and the blurrgs were screaming as they bit at anyone who dared come too near.

Ezra went into action right away, without thought. He approached the creatures directly, using the Force to connect with their minds, and he sensed they were not enraged; they were afraid. Something made them feel threatened, as if they were about to be eaten by a giant cat-like predator he saw in his mind, but didn't know the name of. He looked around but there was nothing. He pushed his own panic about Caleb, Sabine and Hera away to soothe the terrified animals. "Everything's fine." He whispered, walking forward with his hand out to them, sending a gentle stream of the Force to pacify them. One of them lashed its tail and showed his teeth, and he leaned back, out of its reach. "Woah, you're safe. Calm down."

The creatures began to settle back on their haunches. People were looking at Ezra in disbelief as the blurrg calmed enough to be roped by its handlers. He dropped his hand. They obviously knew he did something. The crowd surged toward the creatures and Ezra, now that the threat was neutralized.

He heard murmurs of "Jedi" and "Bridger," but ignored them. Occasionally he was recognized by some on Lothal, but he preferred not to draw that kind of attention.

And now, his mind was too focused on Caleb for anything else. Their link was still and muted, which made panic coil and roll around in his stomach. He frantically tried to connect with his Padawan, but wasn't able to get anything but the basic fact that the boy was still alive. He looked around, everything narrowing to tunnel vision...In his distress and saw Hera and Sabine pushing through the crowd toward him. Why wasn't Caleb with them? As they approached, Sabine was saying something, but he couldn't hear her over the pounding blood in his ears. Was Caleb hurt and that was why he could barely sense him? What accounted for the strange flow of the Force? Was there a redblade somewhere? His chest began to lock up, and he squeezed his eyes shut. His body felt numb. Not now…Not now! he thought.

Cool hands rested on his face; Sabine had turned him toward her. "Ezra. Look at me. Just at me. You're okay."

He took a shuddering breath and frantically searched her dark eyes. "Caleb…I can't sense him. Where is he? Sabine—"

"We lost him when the blurrgs went crazy. We ran one way, and he accidentally ran the other. He's not answering his comm, but he's gonna be okay. Hera and Zeb are searching. Just breathe with me, okay? Come on." She led him toward the nearest wall and placed him with his back against it. His face was sheened in sweat as the anxiety attack swept over him in full force.

"Sabine…" Black spots threatened his vision. He let out a moan and sank down into a crouch as he buried his face in his hands. Mentally, he was scrabbling for the Force. Unable to reach it, he felt adrift on a sea of darkness surrounding him.

She went down with him. "Deep breaths. Steady yourself. Then we'll search, okay?" Her steady brown eyes were on his as she squeezed his hands. "Doing something will help."

He closed his eyes, slowed his breathing, and tried to concentrate enough to feel for the Force. And then, suddenly Caleb was there. He could feel the boy's Force signature strongly; his Padawan was scared, hurting, but okay. Ezra opened his eyes and stood. "I sense him. Come on."

* * *

 

Caleb was following Hera and Sabine through the center square. Coming to Capital City was one of his favorite things to do. There were so many interesting people, colors, sights and sounds. They were shopping for supplies for their next off-world trip, and he was so excited because Ezra had told him they would all go this time too.

Jedi training was turning out to be something he could have never imagined. The first time he'd held his father's lightsaber and moved it through the katas of Form One…he'd felt the Force flowing through him strongly and knew that this was what he was meant to do. But then he'd done the movements all wrong, according to Ezra, but that was okay because he was LEARNING and nobody learned EVERYTHING right the first time. Ezra said the important thing was to try to get a little bit better each time. Despite his master's words, Caleb had been frustrated that he couldn't do it right the first time and he'd frowned until Ezra had told him the story about when he, as a kid, was trying to learn how to levitate objects and Chopper had messed with him and used his manipulator to make Ezra think he'd been successful. Chopper had howled with laughter and zoomed out of the room when Ezra told the story. His master had rolled his eyes, then told Caleb that the important thing was not giving up.

He was thinking about this latest lesson when he glanced into a stall that contained three blurrg. He knew what they looked like from a trip he'd taken to Ryloth with his mother, but he'd never seen any outside of there. It was strange and unexpected, so he stared, fascinated. The black eye of the reptillian creature was looking at him at first, then it rolled to stare at something behind him. Caleb felt his skin prickle and he started to turn to see what was there, and then everything went crazy. The creature lashed its tail and broke the gate of the pen. When a blue Twi'lek came to restrain the beasts, it turned and bit him and he had let out a scream. The second blurrg, who had immediately escaped the pen, galloped ahead while swinging his tail wildly. The creature's tail struck Caleb and threw him into a nearby wall. Things went quiet and black for a time. When Caleb came back to consciousness, people were running every way, screaming as the Twi'leks and others tried to rein in the violent blurrgs.

Caleb reached up and felt blood running down his face. His head hurt badly, and he was sure he was bruised all along the right side of his face. Tears began to form in his eyes, and he tried to see where his mom and Sabine were, but there were too many people running too many ways.

He could feel Ezra's panic, but he couldn't seem to remember about how to use their bond. His head hurt too bad. He was about to stand up when someone suddenly loomed over him. Strong sunlight threw the obviously male figure into shadow. "So child, what's happened here?" the dark figure said. For a moment, Caleb felt something slithery and reptilian in his mind. It scared him so badly, he actually backed up to the stone wall he was lying against.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for all the lovely comments. I hope you continue to have as much fun reading this as I did writing it. Any comments will be fuel for Chapter 15, which I'm working on right now. :)

Chapter 9

"Let's find the kid." Zeb linked up with Hera and they made their way back to the place where the Twi'lek had last seen Caleb.

She scanned the crowd, and saw the crumpled form of a dark-haired child through the throng of people. There was a man kneeling on the ground, next to the boy. When she saw the child move his head, she saw two things. A flash of blotchy green—which she recognized immediately as her child's lekku, and then a flash of magenta-colored blood. "Zeb-" she grabbed the Lasat's arm and tugged. They began to run, but Ezra flew out of the crowd first, in front of them with Sabine following behind.

When they reached the little knot of beings, Hera realized that Ezra had pinned the man against the wall with the Force, and Sabine was standing near Caleb, placing her body between Caleb's and the stranger. Her hand was on her blaster.

The man had hair so blonde it appeared white, so she'd thought he was old at first, but he was younger than that. He had one of those faces that looked deceptively young; if she had to nail it down she would say he was most likely a year or two older than Ezra.

The stranger looked at Ezra with a strange expression, that quickly dissolved into a healthy dose of fear and respect. "I…I was just trying to help him…those b-blurrgs…went crazy!" He choked out.

There was a twitch of Ezra's hand and his blaster flew into his grip and pressed up against the stranger's chest. Hera could see the dark look in the Jedi's eyes—she had seen it often enough after Kanan died. It was the look of everything closing in, of desperation and panic. The look of a man who had lost too much. The look of a man who might do anything to keep from losing more. In those first tumultuous days, she'd seen it in Kanan's eyes often enough to recognize it now in Ezra's.

"Ezra. It's okay. Stand down." Hera murmured, measuring up the stranger that Ezra had in his grip. He didn't look like he was going anywhere. In fact, he looked terrified, but it was as if Ezra hadn't even heard her. "Stand down." she said again, using her best "General" voice. She laid a hand on his shoulder, and it broke the hold of Ezra's tunnel vision. The Jedi let the man go and stepped back, but kept his blaster sighted in.

Hera turned to check Caleb, who had just begun to cry, while Zeb took control of the situation seamlessly.

"So, what happened? If I were you, I'd tell it real quick before my brother here makes up his mind to shoot you," Zeb growled. He couldn't explain it, but he felt every hair standing on end. Every instinct told him that something was wrong here. Really wrong. But his senses could detect nothing substantial.

Now finding someone listening, the man spoke quickly. "The…the boy got hurt. One of those crazed beasts hit him with its tail and threw him into this wall. I saw it from the street over there, and I came running."

"That's probably what happened," Sabine called. "It's consistent with his injuries."

"How is he?" Ezra's hand tightened on his blaster as he continued to glare at the newcomer. He could feel a throbbing pain coming from his Padawan along with a feeling of confusion. With a narrowing focus, he threw the whole of his Force sense into probing the emotions of the stranger in front of him. There was nothing but fear and concern, however. And a strange measure of recognition. Something didn't feel right, but in the maelstrom of his panic, he didn't trust himself to make sense of it.

"He's bruised and bleeding, but no broken bones that we know of." Sabine said. "Probably best for him to get checked out at a med center, though. He hit his head and his lek pretty hard."

"You…you stopped those wild blurrgs," the stranger said, suddenly. "I've heard of you. You're Bridger, the hero of the battle of Lothal, aren't you?"

Ezra frowned at the question. This explained the recognition; however, he didn't answer as he re-seated his blaster in its holster and turned toward Caleb, who was sitting with his back against the wall and his feet stretched out in front of him. He crouched down at Caleb's feet, still feeling anxiety roll uneasily through him like far-off thunder. He pushed it away when he saw his Padawan's worried blue-green eyes. "You ok, Cale?"

Caleb's face was tear and blood streaked, and turning a rather blackish shade on one side. He nodded unsteadily and the motion made his stomach lurch. "Woah." He said, reaching out for his mother and Sabine to stabilize himself. "Why is everything so sideways?"

Hera narrowed her eyes and examined the darkening purplish discoloration of his right lek, along with the scrape on his scalp. "Honey, you just took a big bump. You're going to be fine though." She ripped a strip of brown fabric off of the long trailing length of her head scarf and pressed it to his scalp, trying to stay calm for him.

"Med center's two blocks away." Zeb said, bringing it up on his comm.

"As soon as we can get the bleeding stopped, we can go." Sabine took over the pressure on the makeshift bandage as Hera stood up and turned to the stranger. "My name's Hera Syndulla. Thank you for helping my son."

"It was my pleasure, ma'am." The man bowed his head. "My name's Tarek Len. Glad to be of service."

"What's your ah…business in Capital City?" Zeb asked, a slightly friendlier tone to his voice. Maybe Ezra had been too hard on this guy. He seemed very calm and self-assured now.

"I'm transporting farm equipment, seeds and other agricultural supplies." Ezra's eyes glanced up appraisingly, as if deciding how trustworthy Len was. "It's really my father's ship and his business, but I Captain the ship." He swallowed hard. "I'm sorry about the child…did you need help getting him to the medcenter?" He leaned over and tried to get a better look at Caleb.

"No." The big Lasat glanced to Ezra, then back to Len. "We're okay. Thank you again."

"Very well. Safe travels." Len nodded, then turned and melted into the crowd.

Ezra didn't like the pale cast of Caleb's face. "Think you can stand up?" Ezra asked, using the Force to judge the boy's state.

"Maybe." Caleb tried as Ezra put an arm around him to help. "Ugh." Caleb said, making a retching noise and closing his eyes.

Zeb turned around, reached down and swept the boy up in his arms, settling him gently against his shoulder. Caleb was just about too big to be carried, but Zeb thought he fit just right. "I got you, okay?"

Caleb nodded wordlessly and squeezed his eyes shut the whole way.

* * *

"The injury is interfering with his balance a bit. He should feel much better tomorrow." The nurse finished tying the bandage around the child's lek. "I've closed the wound on his scalp. Just two little zaps from a sprayhypo, kiddo, and we're all done." She smiled as she administered two shots. Caleb made a face but didn't pull away. "The first will help his dizziness and nausea, the second will ameliorate any pain. Of course, we want him to stay for an hour or so, just to make sure there's no reaction to the medication. We don't treat many half-Twi'leks, so we have to be sure, you understand." Hera nodded in reply. "We'll also send some medication with you. I'll check back in a bit."

The nurse headed to the next bed to treat a Twi'lek that had been bitten by a blurrg, and a human farmer who had broken his leg in the disturbance.

"You've been pretty brave." Hera said, taking in Caleb's bandaged lek. Last year he would have given the nurse a lot more trouble; it was just another sign that her son was growing up. "She did a pretty good job on the wrapping. It's not too tight?"

Caleb shook his head just a little. "No. It's okay. I was really scared. I don't know what happened." Caleb said.

"You don't remember?" Hera asked.

Caleb shook his head. "I remember looking at the blurrgs…they were like the ones on Ryloth. Then I woke up on the ground and that scary man was looking down at me."

"You thought he was scary?" Zeb said, raising an eyebrow.

Caleb nodded.

"Why?"

"I don't know." Caleb couldn't think of what it was that scared him about the man anymore. Everything seemed a little fuzzy.

"It's okay." Hera smoothed his hair back from his forehead. "Don't worry about it."

"Mama…is Ezra okay?" Caleb winced as he moved the wrong way and his head ached worse.

"Why would you ask that?" Hera said softly as she helped Caleb settle again on the pillow.

He thought back to how Ezra had felt to him when he came out of the crowd. Fear had vibrated in his Master's Force signature, and it had been like bugs crawling around inside of Ezra-the same feeling the Jedi had when he had the bad dreams. The same feeling that Ezra had felt when Caleb had told him about Maul. Caleb still felt a little guilty about that. He had NEVER wanted to be the reason Ezra felt that way again.

The boy dropped his voice to a whisper. "His _Force_ _signature_ was all wrong. It was something bad. Like his bad dreams."

"Oh." Hera nodded. Ezra's panic attacks were troubling to all of them. It was no surprise to her that Caleb would be affected too. "I think he was probably just scared you might be really badly hurt, love. We all were." That was her kid; here he was bleeding with a head injury, but he was worried about Ezra. She couldn't help feeling that she didn't deserve such a kid.

She glanced at Zeb, who spoke quickly. "Yeah. He's okay, kit. I talked to him before and Sabine left and—oh there they are."

Ezra and Sabine came in, hand in hand. "We moved the speeder closer outside. That way we can get him in more easily," Ezra said. His dark blue eyes swept over Caleb and he reached out a hand to wiggle the boy's foot. "You okay?" he asked. He could feel Caleb's worry coming over their bond, so he sent back reassurance to go with his words.

"I think so." Caleb said. "My head hurts."

"Sorry, buddy." Ezra came over and took a seat by the bed opposite to Hera. He placed a gentle touch on Caleb's head, on the side not bruised. "Did they give him something for that?"

Hera nodded, and Ezra went on. "I don't know why those blurrgs did what they did. When I connected with them, they were scared…afraid of some strange predator that's not even native to Lothal. All they could think about was running away."

"Blurrgs can be unpredictable." Hera murmured thoughtfully.

After a while, the nurse came back and took Caleb's vital signs. After that, Hera was given the medicine and instructions from the nurse, and Zeb carried the child to the speeder.

Ezra and Hera sat on each side of him in the back. "Ready to go home?" Hera asked.

Caleb nodded slowly. He could feel Ezra's emotions settling down, and it calmed him. Sleepy, he settled against Ezra in the back seat and fell asleep.

* * *

"The Jedi is not as untrained as the Inquisitorius records lead me to believe. He will be a substantial impediment to acquiring the child," the blond-haired man said with a frown as he entered the common room of the YT-2400.

"What about the rest of them?" Mos Yisan rumbled out.

The Aqualish was as stupid as he was ugly, but it was a good question, Roxi thought. The bounty hunter leaned forward with a grin on her face. "Yeah. You said something about a Lasat. Sounds interesting…"

"Lasat's mine," Bosh replied, glaring at the Theelin. "Fought plenty of those animals with the Empire on Lasan, but I haven't seen many since then. I think I'm going to enjoy taking the last one of them down."

Lelan Tarek frowned at the older human and everyone shut up quickly. It wasn't smart to talk over the ex-Inquisitor. No matter what he called himself, he was probably the most fearsome being they'd ever encountered. And no one wanted to risk his ire, once they'd seen what he'd done to the two kidnappers on Sera.

The humans hadn't snatched the child and completed their mission; instead they ran off, thinking they'd take the first half of the payment for themselves and hide out on some dive of a moon in the Outer Rim.

And he'd found them, and made the crew watch as he cut them up, bit by bit. The lightsaber had cauterized the wounds, so that they didn't bleed to death. They'd lasted quite a while before shock got them. It had been a lesson to the rest of them. Do what you were told, and you would be well rewarded. Don't…and you would be subjected to whatever twisted whim Tarek was in the mood to indulge.

"Besides the Lasat, there is a Twi'lek: Hera Syndulla. The child's mother. Oh yes, the Inquisitors' records are quite informative when it comes to her. You could say that fighting is in her blood. She could certainly be used to keep the boy in line, should we be able to capture her too.

"The other is Sabine Wren. A Mandalorian and experienced fighter. Only a fool would believe that this will be a simple operation." He narrowed his eyes at them all.

"When will we attack?" Roxi asked.

Tarek walked past her on the way to his quarters. It was time to meditate on what he had learned. A plan would reveal itself, but that would take time. "Not yet, but soon. Very soon."

* * *

Sabine stepped into the semi-darkness of their bedroom to see Ezra kneeling back on his heels on the floor. His head was down and his thick, dark hair had fallen forward to obscure his face. He was obviously meditating, trying to get away from the bustle of activity in the house. Caleb was finally in bed and asleep after he'd had all three of them-his mother, Sabine and Zeb-tell him a story before bed.

She started to back out of the room carefully, not wanting to disturb him.

"It's okay." He lifted his head, and she saw his tired blue eyes regarding her. "Stay."

She walked further in the room, switching on a dim light on the bedside table, then sitting on the bed, cross-legged style. "You okay?" she asked.

He shrugged and stood up in one smooth movement. Nervously, he ran a hand through his loose hair; it was not tied back. Ezra had beautiful hair, Sabine thought, as he came to sit on the bed beside her. After Malachor, he'd cut it all off. She'd never gotten used to the super short hair; he'd worn the style like a penance for a long time after Kanan had been blinded. But after Hoth, he'd begun to let it grow out again. Now he kept it about the same length as Kanan's had always been, long enough to pull it back in a nerf tail. He sat down beside her without replying aloud, and she asked again, gently. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he replied.

"Banthashit," she said mildly, calling him on it, but not looking at him. She knew that would make it easier for him to initially confide in her.

"No. Okay. No. I'm not." He lowered his head and closed his eyes with a sigh. "He could have died, Sabine. On my watch." The very admission made him feel sick.

"It could happen to any of us," Sabine reminded him. She leaned her head against his, and she could feel his soft hair tickling her cheek, but he said nothing. She prompted gently, "Keep talking to me."

He caught her hand in his. "You must think I'm losing it. First on Sera, now at home." He shook his head.

"Never," she said immediately.

He laughed harshly, then met her eyes and saw how serious she was. Then she could feel him start to untangle his feelings. "I…I feel like I'm losing my control lately. When I saw that man standing over Caleb…I thought…" He shook his head. "It was like Sera; I assumed the worst. I just…" He trailed off, at a loss. "I can't explain it. I just sensed danger. Everywhere."

"Are you feeling like this all the time?" Sabine asked.

He shook his head. "When Cale mentioned Maul…Then on Sera…those two guys that followed us and that ship that was docked across the way in the spaceport. And today." He sighed. "I don't want…"

"…to lose us?" She finished for him. She knew his worst fears; she saw what losing Kanan had done to him. She knew that he would gladly step in front of any danger and die rather than feel that way again. It was the way they all felt. "I know the feeling."

He turned to lean into her, and she wrapped her arms around him to pull him in. The way he leaned into her for comfort made her heart ache in her chest.

"What can I do to help, cyar'ika?" she whispered.

He shook his head, taking a deep breath as he wrapped his arms back around her. "Nothing. Just be here. Like this. That's all."

After a few moments, she loosened her embrace and caught his eyes. They'd discussed it after the first episode he had on Hoth, and she'd made him promise to tell her if his anxiety became too overwhelming for him to handle. She didn't know who would understand what they'd all been through, but she'd find someone for him to talk to if that was what he needed. Trusting people with what they'd all experienced, she knew, would be hard enough for her. But for him…after Maul? It might be impossible. She hadn't wanted to put him through that until he was ready or it was absolutely necessary. "You promised to let me know if it gets too much, right?" Her voice was a whisper.

He nodded, keeping his gaze on hers. "I know. I will."

Her eyes measured his for a moment more, then she nodded. "Okay." They'd come too far for her not to trust him. "I love you, Ezra."

He kissed her hungrily, surprising her with the sudden emotion of it. His forehead rested against her own. "I love you. You're everything to me. I hope you know that."

As she returned the kiss, she mumbled into his lips. "I know," and her lips curved into that beautiful teasing smile that he loved beyond love.

* * *

Ezra opened his eyes on darkness. He'd fallen asleep for a few hours, but couldn't quiet his thoughts enough to stay asleep. Sabine's breath brushed his shoulder gently, and her arm was thrown across his body, as if she was trying to keep track of him, even in her sleep.

He began to slide out from under her arm, and she began to mumble sleepily in Mando'a: _Are you okay?_

Ezra learned a little Mando'a on his trips back home with her, but according to Sabine, his accent was horrible, so he answered in Basic. "Yeah." He told her gently, brushing his fingertips over her temple. "Go back to sleep, _Sabinika_." It was a gentle suggestion, and he would have felt guilty for using the Force in this way, but she needed the rest. She spent too much time worrying about him, and he felt guiltier about that than he did about easing her back to sleep.

He slid out of bed and pulled on a black shirt that matched his sleep pants, then he made his way to the living room. He'd tried to meditate last night, but it had been difficult at best. The incident with the Blurrg had really unnerved him. Maybe in the quiet, he could get a handle on the anxiety and banish it.

He made his way over to the window, looking out on the dark grassland, crowned with a sky full of stars. How many times had he looked at the same scene from his tower and wondered about the tiny chips of sparkling ice in the sky? From the first time Hera had taken him off-world, he'd been stunned at how large and amazing the universe really was. He'd seen many beautiful sights, from the towering buildings of Mandalore to the desert of Atollon's multi-hued sunsets, but to him, Lothal's nighttime sky was the most beautiful.

He sighed, and turned to take a meditation position in the middle of the room. He closed his eyes and settled his body into the right position. Then, uncomfortable, he shifted again.

_Stop moving. You can't quiet your mind and hear the Force if you wiggle like you're riding a wild bantha._

_Yes, Master._

He bowed his head as Kanan's words floated back on the tide of memory. Those had been easier days, and in so many ways, he missed his master's gentle guidance. Before the ache in his heart could return, he reached for the Force. His mind drifted until it was caught in the push and pull of its glowing tide. At the present, the Force was a gentle roll, a sea of luminescence that lifted and carried him. It soothed his troubled mind and freed him from the sticky hold of anxiety so that he could think more clearly.

First of all, the blurrgs. Their behavior troubled him. They shouldn't have attacked anyone. Yeah, they could be temperamental, but to just go crazy like they had and attack due to sensing some predator that didn't even live on Lothal? It was a bit strange.

And the stranger standing over Caleb. As he sank further and further into meditation, he saw the scene once more, detailed in his memory. The way the Force had begun to be **_pulled_** in that very direction, like having all the air sucked out of a room. The dread he'd felt on seeing the dark-cloaked figure towering over Caleb hadn't left him. It had reminded him of someone that had set every alarm bell off…

Vader.

But it hadn't been Vader. Vader was dead; he'd fallen along with the Emperor in one of the last battles of the war. The man that he'd latched onto was just a freighter pilot. All his senses had led him in the wrong direction and the mistake had shaken him up. Had his anxiety twisted his senses until he no longer knew what was true or not? Had something really happened on Sera, or was he just being paranoid? For some reason the two events seemed to fit together in his mind. Was it perhaps because he had simply imagined them? Had the battle fatigue of so many years in the rebellion finally caught up to him?

The Force wasn't in the mood to answer his questions. It lapped around him, lulling and soothing his anxious mind, but no more. It was clear he had to listen to himself; the answer would be found within.

And that wasn't encouraging.

* * *

Caleb opened his eyes reluctantly. His head throbbed and he just wanted to go back to sleep. As he cracked one eye open, he could tell the sky had just begun to lighten, and he could see the rosy color of dawn through his window. He wanted to find his mom, or Ezra, or somebody. He stood up, feeling very much off-balance. His head felt heavy on one side, and reaching his hand up, he expected to find a weight attached there, but instead, he found the bandages on his lek. _Oh. The Blurrgs._ He had gotten hurt.

He wanted to call for his mom, so he didn't have to get up, but that would probably wake and maybe scare everybody. He walked crookedly toward the door, and grabbed the doorframe to steady himself. The world around him was definitely not acting right; the floor seemed to lurch up and down weirdly. His mom had told him before bed that his lek had some control over his sense of balance, and probably due to the swelling and bruising. he would feel a little dizzy for the next few days.

His door was open, and when he peeked his head out, he saw that all the other doors on the hallway were open. That usually meant everyone was already up or they were listening out for him, like the last time he had gotten sick. He knew they were worried about him from the feelings that he could sense last night in their Force signatures.

He glanced toward the front of the house and saw Ezra sitting on the floor in the front room. His back was straight and his hands were in the shape of a what-was-it-called-again? A mudra? It was a hand position used for concentration and focus. Ezra's eyes were closed and his breathing was deep and even. His calm outside didn't match his inside, however. Ezra was worried about something, but Caleb couldn't focus enough to read him right now.

Caleb hesitated to interrupt him, but his head was really starting to hurt worse. He had stood there a moment, wavering back and forth. He had just decided to head for his mom's room, when Ezra called his name softly. He swung his head back toward his Master and worked his way over.

"My head hurts." He murmured. Ezra had just gotten to his feet as Caleb made it into the room, catching him right before he took a tumble.

"Dizzy too, huh?" Ezra said, pulling Caleb to his feet and guiding him over to the couch. "Medicine must have worn off. I'll get it."

"Okay." Caleb rested his head on the couch's big pillows. Staying still was better, and his stomach began to settle a little.

Ezra came back with the hypos and a cup of jogan juice, Caleb's favorite. "Here." He handed the child the juice, then readied the hypos. "Just a small sting like yesterday, okay?"

Caleb nodded, sighed and handed back the cup of juice after taking only one sip. Ezra narrowed his eyes; the kid never refused jogan juice, so Ezra knew that it must really be bad. He knelt and used both hypos, this time on Caleb's other arm so it wouldn't be too sore, then fixed the couch pillow where he could lay down.

"Give it just a minute, and you should start feeling better." Ezra said, reaching out to smooth back his Padawan's hair.

"Did you know I was hurt yesterday?" Caleb asked softly. "When you came running?"

Ezra nodded. "I knew. I felt it over the Force bond we have."

"I could feel stuff too. Um…I knew that you were…kinda scared." The youngling searched his face with wide eyes.

Ezra grimaced and looked away for a moment, reminding himself that he had to do a better job of shielding the kid from his emotional tides. Force bonds worked both ways, but he knew it wasn't right to burden Caleb with his anxiety attacks. When he looked back, those familiar eyes were studying him intently. "Yeah. I was scared. I don't mind admitting it. But remember when I told you it was like static on a comm? Background noise? That's all it was. Don't let it worry you. It will never stop me from coming for you, if you need me. You know that, right? I'll always come for you." Caleb nodded slowly. Ezra placed a hand on Caleb's shoulder and sent a current of peace and safety to the boy. "I love you, little kit."

"Love you too, Ezra." Caleb replied, with a sleepy smile. He could feel Ezra's caring through their bond and it wiped away his worries. Ezra felt strong and sure—confident that things were okay, which made Caleb feel the same way.

When Ezra sat on the couch, Caleb sat up and leaned the other way to snuggle into the Jedi's side. Ezra responded by wrapping his arm around the child and holding him close. "Just get some rest, okay? I'll be right here."

"'Mkay." Caleb murmured into Ezra's shirt. When he fell asleep, Ezra adjusted him so that they were half reclining on the couch and Caleb would be more comfortable. The kid had begun to breathe more slowly and deeply, and one of his fists twisted into Ezra's shirt, as he gave himself up to sleep more completely.

Ezra remained awake for a while, but eventually he closed his eyes and fell back asleep as well, his cheek leaning against the top of Caleb's head.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Hera was the first awake when Caleb began to scream. She was on her feet with her blaster at hand before she realized what was happening. So many years of dealing with Ezra and Zeb's nightmares had prepared her and she hit the hallway at a run, bursting through Caleb's door.

She flipped the light on and saw her sweet child was not in his bed. Where had he gone? She looked around and noticed his cries were coming from the closet. Hera hit the switch with her fist and it opened immediately to reveal her terror-filled child curled into the corner of the closet, his eyes squeezed closed and his lekku twined around themselves in fear.

"Oh baby…baby…" She went to her knees, dropping her blaster and gathering him in her arms. His continued sobs were muffled against her sleep shirt, and she placed kisses on the top of his head. She also squeezed him as tightly as she dared, as injured as he'd been, and felt him respond by putting his arms around her neck. That was good. "Okay. It's okay, Caleb." She kissed the side of his head and face, still bruised from the accident. _What was happening to them?_ she wondered helplessly. For the past two days, Ezra had not been himself lately, and as a consequence, even Caleb had seemed preoccupied and withdrawn.

Sabine came in soon after, kneeling down as well to rub circles against the little boy's back. At first, he flinched and let out a cry, but he melted back into his mother's arms when he saw it was Sabine. "We're here, Caleb," she said softly.

"I think he had a bad dream." Hera was rocking him gently back and forth while he continued to sob against her shirt. "Is Ezra—"

"Ezra wasn't in the bedroom. I need to go find him." Just like Hera, Sabine figured Ezra probably had a bad night and had somehow affected Caleb as well, or vice versa. Some of the same things had happened on the _Ghost_ with Kanan and Ezra, until Ezra had mastered his mental shields. It was probably the same case here.

She got up and headed for the door. When she got into the living room, she saw Zeb was watching something outside the front door. "Zeb?" she whispered.

"Sabine…I'm…I'm not sure what to do." He moved a little and she saw that Ezra was standing outside the front door, looking out on the grasslands. He was holding his lightsaber in one hand, but it was not ignited.

And five Loth-wolves were in a semicircle around the front of the house. They were facing out into the night, though. Their attention was not on Ezra, but on something outside their circle, which they were watching steadily.

Before she could try to wake him up, he stepped forward, off of the porch and out into the yard. He ignited his lightsaber and took a stance, waiting.

"Zeb…what are they doing?" Sabine muttered, as she stepped outside. They looked around but saw no one. No threat, just the quiet of a cool, windy night settling around them.

"I don't know." Zeb took an experimental sniff of the air. His ears twitched. He thought for a moment he detected something besides Loth-wolf on the wind, but then there was nothing there. Despite his findings, Zeb ducked back inside and came out with his bo-rifle in hand, just in case.

The lead wolf began a long and lonely howl, lifting its snout to the sky. The other wolves began to growl, standing up and shifting uneasily from foot to foot. It was a growl that Sabine could feel vibrating in the very air around them. A warning.

Ezra lifted one hand up, palm out and two fingers extended. Sabine had seen him do this countless times, which meant he was using the Force to sense the area in front of him. It was also the same motion she'd seen him use on the blurrgs when connecting with them.

She stepped out, past the porch into the yard, followed by Zeb.

Her husband's loose hair obscured his face, and she couldn't get a read on his eyes. She knew he had to be cold; all he was wearing was a black tank and sleep pants, and his feet were bare, but he didn't seem to feel the chill. It reminded her achingly of Hoth. She could see the tension in his muscles as he held his stance, waiting for a threat that neither she nor Zeb could see. For a moment, her fear overtook her and she wondered if he WAS unraveling…Force knew what state of mind he was in. How much terror could one person endure? When would the past stop torturing him? She wished the past was some enemy she could fight; some force that she could defeat, but it was only a ghost in the dark that kept surfacing again and again.

She approached slowly, sure that he would sense her.

"Sabine, careful…" Zeb's worried voice came from behind her.

She glanced at him and shook her head. "It's okay," she whispered. Then she laid a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "Ezra?" She murmured, not wanting to startle him, but he didn't react at all.

"It's there." He nodded his head out toward the night.

"What's out there?" she whispered.

"Darkness." His voice was slow; it was the slurred speech of a sleep-talker. "They're coming..."

He didn't sound like himself either. She looked around them and saw that the wolves were bristling and snarling now. Was Ezra controlling them? Was there really a threat or was this just another nightmare? Her confusion was an agony as he stepped forward and her hand slipped from him.

"Come on." Ezra growled, his voice now low and dangerous as he advanced, swinging his saber impatiently. "Show yourself!"

There was nothing but the rustle of the grass around them. Long moments passed, in which Ezra finally lowered his head and remained silent and stationary. His distressed breathing indicated another panic attack. Sabine turned to Zeb, who was now standing beside her. "Do you sense anything?" she whispered.

Zeb shook his head, noticing the wolves. They had stopped growling and were now merely sitting in their places. The tension they'd reflected seemed to have passed. "Look." He motioned to Sabine, then pointed.

One by one, the wolves were vanishing into the high grassland. Ezra lifted his head and disengaged his lightsaber as he stood staring into the dark. When only the large white wolf was left, the creature turned toward Ezra and took several steps until it was close enough to look directly in his eyes. It nudged him with its snout, and then _vanished_.

Ezra wavered, then fell to his knees.

Both Sabine and Zeb came to his side immediately. "Ezra…" Sabine put a hand on his cheek, which was so cold, and turned his head toward her. His intense blue eyes focused on her through his fall of black hair. He reached up and ran a gentle touch down her face, as if he didn't believe she was real. "Are you okay?" she breathed.

"Did—did you see anything?" he asked her.

She shook her head slowly, glancing to Zeb. Ezra followed her gaze, and Zeb shook his head as well and knelt down beside him, placing a hand on Ezra's shoulder in support. "I'm sorry, kit," he murmured.

"There was something…something evil out there." He narrowed his eyes and looked into the darkness. "It's gone now, but it was there."

She nodded, placing a hand on his other shoulder. "Ezra? Did…did you **call** the wolves here? Or did they just come?"

He looked around, confusedly. "I…I don't know. I-I'm not sure." As his distracted blue eyes scanned around them, Sabine felt Ezra shiver through her touch on his shoulder. "Wait…Where's Hera…and…and Caleb?" He struggled to his feet.

"They're inside! Ezra—" Sabine said, but Ezra was pulling away, staggering to the house and through the front door.

When Zeb and Sabine entered, they saw Ezra in the living area with Hera and Caleb. Caleb was held tightly in Ezra's arms and Hera had her arms around both of them. Ezra's face was buried against Hera's shoulder, and the shaking of his shoulders showed that he was overwhelmed. "It's okay. Shhh." Sabine saw Hera smooth her hand over Ezra's hair gently. "I'm okay. Caleb's okay, love. You don't have to worry anymore." Hera's eyes met Sabine's over Ezra's head, and it was as if they could read each other's thoughts.

Whatever was happening to Ezra, it was rapidly becoming clear that they were helpless to stop it.

* * *

Roxi watched the Jedi through her macrobinoculars. She could tell he was the Jedi by the green glow of his lightsaber as he stepped out among the fearsome Loth-wolves. He swung his saber a few times, his mouth moving, but the wind over the grassland would have drowned out his words anyway, even if she'd been close enough to hear. Then two other figures came out, which she identified as the Mandalorian and the Lasat. After a few moments, she saw the wolves begin to slip into the grass.

"Time to go, Inquisitor," she murmured, wondering if the wolves would come their way. She watched as she saw Tarek open his eyes. They were about seven klicks from the Jedi's abode, which Tarek had said was as close as they wanted to get to the homestead of the _Ghost_ crew for what he had to do. An overt attack would come later, after they'd weakened the Jedi, according to the former Inquisitor.

Tarek's eyes gleamed in the darkness. "The wolves are coming." He returned to his trance and focused on his own Force signature, cloaking it in layers upon layers of stealth. He didn't think the Loth-wolves, creatures of myth, which no one had seen on Lothal for over a hundred years until after the Battle of Lothal, would be able to detect him with their Force abilities.

Roxi chewed her bottom lip as she walked over to ready the speeder, a small two-seater, with mods that allowed it to be almost silent as they zoomed over the grassland. She hoped that Tarek would hurry up and get finished with his Jedi magic and allow them to go before those creatures showed up to tear them into bits. They were huge, and they looked hungry. She wasn't sure if the Inquisitor could defeat two or three of those.

She felt her hair begin to stand on end as the Inquisitor rose and made his way over to her. It felt like some electrical charge was building in the area around them. "It's done," he said.

Visible relief showed on the bounty hunter's face as she started up the speeder.

As he climbed in to the conveyance and they headed back toward the far-off lights of the city, Lelan felt a dark pride. After what he'd just done to Bridger, the Jedi's pain was like a bleeding wound in the Force. By using immense focus and meditation, he had sensed which point of weakness would break Bridger the quickest. The more he broke the Jedi down, the easier it would be to get the boy. Bridger was strong with the Force, but the half-breed kid was _brilliant_ with it. The son of one of the last Jedi would make a powerful dark-side user.

Lelan Tarek had survived the fall of the Empire, proving that he'd had more focus and devotion to the dark side than his "brothers" and "sisters." Despite being only partially trained when Lord Vader and the Emperor fell, he had not only survived, but thrived. He'd left his quarters in the Imperial palace the same night they heard about the Empire's fall. As he ran, he stole a Sith holocron which had been given to the head Inquisitor for training purposes, and escaped through the secret tunnels of the complex.

The holocron had been invaluable for learning the secrets that had not yet been taught him. He'd spent over two years poring over it, and honing his innate ability for finding the shatterpoints in others. This natural ability had been one of the reasons the Third Brother had chosen him as an apprentice. With the Force and an immense focus and expense of energy, he could determine the fault lines in other people and things. Then he could use that weakness to shatter them.

He had used it to see that Bridger's darkest fear was losing someone else in his family. Kanan Jarrus's death had apparently shaken the young Jedi, and like many other weak-minded veterans, Bridger struggled with his memories of the war and the loss that he'd faced. The Inquisitor smirked. Those on the light side had never figured out how to take pain and make it into strength.

Ah yes. Love for others and attachment. Those were Jedi weaknesses-not hard to identify. But how to exploit that weakness? THAT was where Tarek's little gift became very valuable indeed.

"What did he see when he came outside?" Roxi asked. "Did he know we were there?"

"He could feel a threat. Something he couldn't define." The Inquisitor smirked. "But he will find nothing, and it will drive him mad."

"Then we snatch the kid…your new _apprentice_ ," she corrected herself.

"When the time is ripe." Tarek suddenly felt drained of his anger; pushing it all into the manipulation of the dark side left him feeling empty. Only unhappiness remained, and it made him irritable. The bounty hunter started to ask another question, but the look on the Inquisitor's face when he glanced to her was enough to still any further conversation.

He began to put together his dark plan. He would send one of the crew to surveil the comings and goings of the Ghost crew. If Bridger and the child were separated for any length of time, they would make their move.

The dark landscape sped by them as they headed for the lights of the city.

* * *

Adrenaline and their battle hardened reflexes kept them awake, long after Ezra and Caleb had gone back to sleep. Caleb had insisted that Ezra not leave him…and so the kid had fallen asleep in Ezra's arms as they both laid on the couch. It seemed that Caleb had a relaxing effect on Ezra as well because it wasn't long before the Jedi was asleep also. Sabine had gone to wake them to go to bed when Hera stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Don't," Hera said gently. "If it keeps them from having any more bad dreams tonight, let them sleep."

"Was that all that was, you think? Just a bad dream?" Sabine asked softly, following the Twi'lek into the kitchen and sitting down.

"Maybe," Hera replied, handing Sabine a cup of tea. Zeb was standing at the window in the living room, keeping a silent watch, and she smiled at him, even though he couldn't see it. After all these years, protecting them was still second nature for the old Lasat, and she felt a fierce love for him, certain that she never would have made it through losing Kanan without Zeb's steady guiding presence.

"Do you…do you think Ezra's going to be okay?" Sabine whispered, staring down into the cup of amber Twi'lek tea.

Hera put a hand on Sabine's head, smoothing her hair. Then she sat down at the table. "I know something's happening. I don't know what it is, but we have to believe Ezra will figure it out. All we can do is be there for him. Like we did for Kanan after…well, after Maul." The Twi-lek thought back to when Kanan had first been blinded. He'd struggled so hard to find his way after Malachor, that her heart had broken every day for him. She had provided silent strength when he needed it, and someone to listen when he wanted to talk. Ezra needed the same from them. She was sure of it.

"It…It was like…like Hoth." Sabine's eyes filled with tears and Hera leaned forward and embraced her for a long time. "He was so afraid. I just want to take it all away for him."

"I know. Give him some time. Seeing Kanan again…and then Caleb getting hurt shook him up, I think." Hera took Sabine's hand as she nodded. "We have to trust that he'll find his way, and be there for him to talk to when he's ready. That's all we can do."

Sabine nodded as she took another sip of her tea. Hoth. It seemed like a lifetime ago; but it had only been about five years…

* * *

**Hoth**

Ice chunks were falling as the Imperial guns in range of the Hoth base tore the tunnels and rooms apart. When the shield generator was destroyed, they were given the K-one-zero.

"Chopper—get to the Ghost. Tell Zeb to prep for takeoff." Hera ordered. The short astromech made his way down the hallway, waving his manipulators and squawking in binary to clear the way. The _Ghost_ was located in Hangar 6. Hera was carrying Caleb, thankful that the little three-year-old wasn't crying at all. His composure was eerie; his large luminous blue-green eyes were silently taking in everything that was happening in the hallway. Worried people streamed by, running. Thunder from the blasts rocked the base, and there had been falls of ice and snow all over the caves. There was a rainbow around the wall illumination, caused by the diffusion of light from ice crystals in the air. Hera noticed it when Caleb pointed.

"Rainbows," he said softly, in awe.

Leave it to her kid to find the beauty in the midst of an evacuation, she thought with a brief smile. He'd seen a rainbow in the last painting that Sabine had done in his room on the _Ghost_ , Hera realized. "Mm-hmm," she murmured. "Let me know if you see Ezra or Sabine, love. We have to leave very soon."

She exited the small hallway for a larger one and made her way through the chaotic throng of running people. Another base abandoned…many good people would die today, she thought sadly as she clung to Caleb and looked for her other two kids.

But she'd been over a large portion of the base already, and she could feel herself beginning to panic at not finding them. She reminded herself that she'd been through too much to panic now, and she got a hold on herself. Becoming paralyzed like a baby nerf caught in speeder lights was not going to help anyone.

Sabine had been in intelligence, lending help to the codebreakers and slicers. Hera wondered if she should head that way. Just as she had that thought, Caleb pointed back through the crowd. "Mommy look!"

Hera turned to see Sabine making her way toward them. She was bleeding from a small cut on her head, but she seemed otherwise ok.

"No…no…ouch, Sabine." The toddler touched his own head on the same side that hers was hurt on. His face crinkled with worry at seeing her bleeding.

"I'm okay, little one. Part of the ceiling fell, that's all." Sabine said, kissing him on the forehead quickly. "I can't find Ezra." She rubbed the toddler's back, as she looked to Hera for orders.

Hera had tried to comm him on their way down, but hadn't been able to reach him. She tried again. "Spectre six, come in. Ezra, come in!" She frowned.

Hera signaled Zeb. "Please tell me Ezra's already in the _Ghost_."

"Karabast!" The Lasat's reaction let her know exactly what she didn't want to hear. "Hera. I'll go after him."

"No. Get us ready to burn sky, Zeb. We'll be there soon."

"Hera. I'll go. Get Caleb to the _Ghost_. If you have time, detach the Phantom and I'll leave in that. I know the rendezvous," Sabine said. People were running through the halls, carrying datapads and other equipment, but there weren't as many as there had been a couple of minutes ago when the evac had first been called.

"No way." Hera swore, grabbing the girl's shoulder with her free hand. "We're not leaving without you, so hurry."

Sabine nodded, and Hera enveloped her in a quick hug. When Sabine went to go, Caleb reached for her.

"No…No…Sabine!" Caleb shook his head, hand extended.

She took his little hand in her own. "Sweetheart—"

"Bad men are coming. Don't go." Again, his forehead with that crease of worry on it.

Hera looked at her son in surprise. She'd said nothing about the Empire being the reason they had to evac, but the kid understood nevertheless. Caleb was almost frighteningly smart and perceptive; it had to be the Force, she thought again, for the thousandth time.

"Gotta find Ezra, but I'll be careful, sweet angel." Sabine murmured, kissing his hand, and then she was gone.

* * *

Ezra felt the danger right before the alarm was given. He was in the hangar, giving some help to the mechanics by working on an X-wing, when he felt a familiar coldness creeping down his spine.

"You okay, Bridger?" Old Jarvis, a gear head at the base Ezra had been working with, looked up when the Jedi stood. Jarvis liked having Bridger come help out. There was a lot of repair work to do and the Jedi never refused a job, no matter how dirty or unattractive it was. The red-haired tech thought that the young man probably just liked to keep busy. Lots of soldiers were that way and needed something to do during their off hours, or the burden of memories of the lost became too heavy to bear.

"I'm good. Just taking a break." The Jedi went over and grabbed his canteen off of a suspension crate. He drank some water, then closed his eyes to try and see what he could sense in the Force. Something wasn't right. He felt the familiar mantle of the light side falling over him, but it was immediately snatched away by the coldness of the dark side. Death was coming for them. Looking into the approaching evil presence was like looking into a black hole. It sucked him in, and he felt all the warmth in his body drain away.

The canteen slipped from his fingers and fell on the floor unheeded, splattering his shoes. When the warning claxons went off, he didn't hear them.

"Bridger! Kriff, we gotta evac. Come on!" Jarvis came over and grabbed his shoulder.

Ezra looked at the old mechanic, but Jarvis might as well have been speaking Aqualish. He shook his head slowly, and pulled away from the touch. He still looked like he had his head tilted to one side, listening to something Jarvis couldn't hear.

When Jarvis reached for him again, Ezra felt everything start to close in. He couldn't breathe, and his heart was pounding. "Go. Just go before it's too late." Ezra pushed the man away and the bewildered mechanic finally left, swearing and murmuring something about finding Syndulla's crew.

The Force had gone cold. So cold. Ezra staggered to the wall, and leaned against it, trying to get control of his pounding heart rate. The unnatural cold stole his rational thought, leaving only his fear behind. His mind seized up and was numb. He couldn't think. He needed to get to Sabine, Hera and Caleb, but he couldn't breathe.

**They are already lost, foolish Jedi.**

**You have no hope of saving them.**

The surety of that statement was like a hammer to the brain. He tried to sense his crew…his family, but could get no read on them. Were they dead already? The pain that ripped through his heart at that thought forced him to his knees. A loud boom thundered from overhead and chunks of ice chips and a fall of frost came from the ceiling, landing on his head and shoulders.

Time passed and he remained frozen in place, unable to take action. The presence he now identified as Vader, the Sith in black, drew closer. In the Force, Ezra could feel the Sith turning his eye toward him, seeking him. He began to moan, squeezing his eyes shut. Memories of Malachor came back to him, and he was paralyzed with fear, reliving the horror of Vader's presence and the Sith's fight with Ahsoka that had ended with her death.

His breath was heaving, as he fought the iron bands that had tightened around his chest. He let out a loud moan and buried his face in his knees, as if he could hide from the inevitable. It was as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. Another boom sounded and he looked up to see more ice fall from the ceiling. He closed his eyes and tried to find some shred of the Light to dispel the terror of the Dark.

There was a whisper of movement and he felt a familiar touch on his head. "Ezra. Are you hurt?"

He opened his eyes and saw Sabine's pale face, streaked with blood. He tried to say something to her, but his mouth worked helplessly. He struggled to breathe, to think, to move, to even focus on her. Her hands gently but quickly brushed over him, obviously looking for blood or wounds.

"Force! You're so cold. We have to go, Ezra." Sabine took his frozen hands in her own and squeezed them. His lips were tinged with blue and she was alarmed. When she'd approached him after the mechanic told her where he was, she'd first thought he was frozen solid. He was curled into himself, and had a fine fall of frost on his head and shoulders, giving her the horrible notion that he'd frozen to death. She'd seen a rebel soldier brought in from being caught outside overnight, and Ezra looked like that. Pale, with frost dusted over his skin like glitter.

"He's…" Ezra struggled to talk, his strangled voice only a whisper between his chattering teeth. "He's coming."

"Who?" she asked as she reached up to put a hand on his cheek. He was so pale that he seemed like a ghost.

"Vader," he shuddered, grabbing her arm. "Sabine—It's Vader."

He didn't have to say anymore. "I understand," she said, and her arms went around him and pulled him to his feet. Vader was enough to send any of them into a panic, and if he was here, it was past time to go.

Ezra felt like an icicle; his body was stiff as she helped him get to his feet. He had turned his head back toward the doorway, a dazed look in his eyes as if he expected Vader to appear any moment. She placed hands on each side of his face and made him look at her. "Ezra? Just follow me. We have to get you back to the _Ghost_." She led him by his hand, noticing how he kept close to her. He wasn't reacting right; he was so distant it felt like the time after Malachor-all over again.

"You're hurt?" He asked, finally realizing what the blood on her face must mean. Everything, even his mind, seemed to be moving in slow motion. He struggled against it, but only ended up being more mired in the mental quicksand.

"Not really-just a piece of ice fell on me." She tried to wipe off the blood with her fingertips, then scrubbed her fist across it. "It was nothing." She squeezed his hand harder as Ezra flinched and ducked at the close sound of blaster bolts, pulling her with him. He held out his hand and his saber flew into it from the clip on his belt. The green glow of the ignited blade cast an eerie light around them as he waited to deflect blaster fire.

"No. It's still a little way off. We just have to reach the _Ghost_." He looked at her blankly, as if she was speaking another language. Then his eyes wandered back to the doorway. With a touch on his cold cheek, she pulled his attention back to her. "Look at me. You're okay." He disengaged his blade, and they continued walking rapidly toward the _Ghost_. The entire time, Sabine glanced back and forth from their destination to Ezra's pale, strained face. She had to keep him moving to the ship. "You're doing well, love. Stay with me." She then hit her comm. "I'm on the way with Ezra."

"Copy that." Hera's relieved voice came across the channel.

"I thought I'd lost you..." Ezra murmured.

When she looked up, she saw that his eyes were full of tears.

"I was scared for you too," she replied, leaning in to slip her arm around him to hurry him along. "But we're okay. All of us." Eventually they reached the _Ghost_ and saw Zeb was standing on the loading ramp, with his bo-rifle. Seeing Ezra's tears made his ears twitch. He slung the weapon over his back. "Everything okay?"

Ezra looked around him suddenly confused. The dark side was pounding at him, trying to find a way in and his thoughts became jumbled. "I can feel him, Sabine. Vader's here. We've got to save Ahsoka and Kanan. We've got to get off of Malachor."

Sabine's eyes went wide in terror. What was going on? Ezra thought they were on Malachor? He thought Kanan was still alive? Was this some kind of mental break, a flashback or some effect of Vader's? Just how close was the Sith? Sabine looked at Zeb desperately.

The Lasat's ears twitched again. The kit's scent was all wrong, but he played along in order to get Ezra on board. They could figure out the rest later, in the safety of hyperspace. "Come on, then." He held out a hand and pulled Ezra up on the ramp. He eyed Sabine again as she climbed up behind him.

He looked quickly for any stragglers that might need a ride and saw the hangar was mostly empty. It seemed like they were going to be one of the last ships to leave. "Go, Hera! I've got everyone."

As the ramp closed, Ezra turned around, ready to run back off the ship and into danger. "No, we don't have everyone! Where's Kanan and Ahsoka? We can't leave them!"

Zeb simply wrapped his arms around Ezra—Ashla, the kit was too cold; he'd be surprised if Ezra didn't have hypothermia. He felt the Jedi struggle in the circle of his arms. "They're gone, kit. Gone." He reached up and smoothed Ezra's spiky hair. He could feel the ship take off from the vibration in the floor and the sound of the engines.

Ezra let out a moan—the most broken sound Zeb thought he'd ever heard. He remembered something he'd seen on Lasan, during the end of the last stand. A mother had been holding a dead kit in her arms, crying over it, and she'd made a similar sound. It was a grief beyond words. And if there was one thing the _Ghost_ crew knew about, it was grief.

Ezra finally stopped struggling and began to sob against Zeb. The Lasat's face hardened at the kid's breakdown, holding him tighter. Karking war. It was tearing them all to pieces. "Let it out, kit." He murmured, then lifted his eyes to Sabine's. He wasn't surprised to see her crying as well.

"Uh, I'm gonna need you all up here. We're going out hot." Hera called over the ship's comm.

Ezra backed away from the Lasat. "I'm okay." He said softly, wiping at his face with the heels of his hands. "I'm coming up...go."

Zeb didn't like it, but he began to climb the ladder. Sabine remained a moment, taking Ezra's cold fingers in her own and pulling him to her. She rested her forehead against his and stared into his watery eyes that matched her own. He reached up and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. His hands were still cold, but her tears were warm.

"We'll go together," she whispered simply.

He nodded and took her offered hand.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope I explained shatterpoints well enough. I figured people could have mental shatterpoints just as well as physical ones. I have been browsing Wookiepedia and incorporating things I've found here and there. As always, I'd love to hear what you guys think!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11.

Caleb had just finished breakfast with his Mom, Sabine, and Zeb when he peered into Ezra's room, and saw him sitting on his heels in a meditation stance. Earlier, when he'd asked where Ezra was, he had felt everyone's worry spike. They didn't want to upset him, but they didn't want to be entirely truthful either-Caleb could feel their guilty feelings about it.

"He's resting, Caleb. He told me he'd eat later," Sabine said, as gently as possible.

What Sabine didn't realize was that Caleb knew that Ezra was not sleeping. He was meditating. With his shields up. Why would he shut himself off? Was it because of the bad dreams Caleb had had last night?

Caleb still didn't understand them. He'd dreamed about ice and snow and cold. Like when they lived on…Hoth? He could barely remember Hoth, now. He'd only been a baby when they'd lived there, only three years old, so of course he didn't remember it well.

And no one ever talked about Hoth. Ever. Caleb didn't know why, but he had the distinct feeling that something bad had happened to Ezra there. He wasn't sure how he knew that, but he did.

And the dream. He'd dreamed about cold and darkness. Someone tall and dressed in black, with a mask. The mask had blank, black expressionless eyes and looked more like a droid than a human. The dark one had come to kill everyone he loved. When he tried to look into the creature's Force signature, he saw such yawning blackness…it was like looking into the mind of the worst monster he could ever have imagined. The darkness had shiny, sharp white teeth and wanted to gnaw on him and eat him up. He could feel the darkness smothering his light, and he couldn't breathe.

The most frightening thing about it, when he'd come back to wakefulness, was that Ezra had been just as scared as he was. Caleb had felt it over their bond. Ezra had been crying too last night. It had made him feel frantic, like the world was going to crash down around them. His heart had beat in his chest like a bird trying to escape a trap and he knew he would have given everything he had….ANYTHING to make Ezra's tears stop. He let out a shaky breath he didn't know he'd been holding; he felt close to screaming.

When he opened his eyes, Ezra was right in front of him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, and then on his cheek. "Padawan? You okay?" His eyes were deep and troubled as he smoothed back the boy's hair.

The caring look on Ezra's face made Caleb begin to cry in earnest. "Sorry. 'M really sorry."

Ezra shook his head and enfolded the child in a hug. "Padawan, there's nothing to be sorry for. I'm not upset with you."

He held Caleb close. Hera had been coming down the hallway and looked in on the two of them. She mouthed the words: _Everything okay?_

Ezra nodded, and felt relief when Hera nodded and moved on. It meant she still trusted him with Caleb, even after the insanity of last night. Ezra held onto it like a precious stone. He had to talk to her as soon as he could bring himself to do it. That morning she, Zeb and Sabine had been cautious around him, and hadn't pushed him to explain last night. He appreciated the time to clear his mind, but he knew that eventually they would want some answers because they cared about him. Force knew they deserved answers.

But right now…Caleb needed him.

He swept Caleb up in his arms and carried him over to where he'd been meditating, then set Caleb down on the floor gently. "Okay. Talk to me, Spectre Seven."

Caleb's chin trembled as he was trying not to sob. "I had a bad dream last night. I woke everybody up, and everybody's upset now." He rubbed the tears from his face.

Ezra shook his head and leaned forward at that. "No—wait…"

"And now…now you're keeping me out…your shields…I didn't mean to do bad things and s-scare y-you…" Ezra had taught him that not having control of your emotions and the Force could cause others to feel the same things you did. Had he done that last night? Ezra had been so upset—he'd been _crying._ It must have been something Caleb did.

Ezra reached out with the Force, sending it to calm the youngling. "No—Cale. You're confused. You didn't do anything wrong. Not at all."

"But…But the dream…"

"I'm not sure, but I think we both felt the same thing. It could have flowed from me through our bond, or it could have come from somewhere else…I shielded our bond just now because I was…trying to figure it out. I didn't want you to get scared if the same thing happened again."

Caleb's sobs were slowing as he settled down. However, his Force signature showed that he was skeptical.

Ezra completely dropped his shields. "Look into me. The bond's open now. What do you see?"

Caleb prodded at their bond, sensing Ezra's truthfulness. Caleb nodded. "I saw...someone scary in my dream last night."

"Tell me about it." Ezra asked. Caleb described the dark thing he'd seen in his dreams. "Vader," Ezra murmured.

"Who is that?"

Ezra's eyes seemed far away. "He was the Sith who hunted the Jedi. The right hand of the Emperor. He was strong with the dark side, but he died toward the end of the war."

"He hunted Jedi?" A crease of worry appeared on Caleb's brow.

"He and his Inquisitors. Think of them as…really strong Padawan learners." Ezra said, monitoring Caleb's reactions so that he'd know when the kid was at his limit of what he could understand.

Caleb scooted very near Ezra. "Did you ever see them? Vader and the Inquisitors?"

Ezra nodded.

"Were they scary?"

"Yeah." Ezra said simply.

Caleb was in awe.

"Remember how we talked about the light side of the Force?"

Caleb nodded.

Ezra took a deep breath. "There is also a dark side. That's what you felt last night. The dark side. It's the opposite of everything that is the light. The Inquisitors followed that dark just like we follow the light. They learned to manipulate the Force to do evil. They harnessed their negative emotions to hurt and control others."

Caleb shuddered, and Ezra felt the boy's fear spike. "Are they…are they still out there?"

"I…I'm not sure. We haven't seen any for a long, long time." Ezra said softly, "So I don't think so."

"Did you fight them? Did my father…fight them?"

Ezra nodded. "We both did. Your father was very brave and defeated their leader, the Grand Inquisitor."

"Woah." Caleb shook his head wonderingly. "They must have been…the scariest things ever."

"They were. But Kanan taught me that you have to give your fear over to the Force. The Jedi had a saying. 'Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering.' You can't let your fear shake your faith in the Force."

"That…that sounds really hard." Caleb looked at Ezra wonderingly. When he'd been scared the night before, he hadn't been able to even think until his mom and Ezra were there for him.

Ezra nodded. "Yeah, it is, kid. It really is. It's a lesson that's hard for everyone."

* * *

Ezra's feet crunched on the small stones as he followed the path out to the _Ghost_ the next day. Hera was doing maintenance before their next run, which was scheduled in a few days' time. As he climbed the well-worn ramp, Ezra couldn't help but appreciate how the ship never seemed to age under Hera and Chopper's loving care. For so many years of his life, this had been his home. This ship had saved his life more times than he could count, and he couldn't help the warm feelings he had for it.

He could hear Hera banging away in the engine compartment, so he made his way back.

She was beating a hammer on a Harris wrench, trying to loosen a bolt. He gently grabbed the hammer as she raised it back.

"Let me try." Ezra said.

She glanced at him, smiled, then held out a gloved hand. "Be my guest."

Ezra made a small hand gesture and the stuck bolt unscrewed.

"Where were you ten minutes ago?" She smirked, pulling off the panel so she could get to the hyperdrive.

Ezra began to help her with the work, handing her tools and parts as she needed them. It reminded him of being a kid on the _Ghost_ again. When he'd first joined the crew, he'd been nervous and awkward. After all, he had just been a street rat and they were _rebels_ , a highly-trained team working like a well-oiled machine. Opening up had been difficult for him. Nobody had cared for him when he was just a street rat, so he'd found it hard to believe that the crew of the _Ghost_ really could or would care about him. He had been so wrong.

He'd become accepted as one of the family right away. When Jedi training with Kanan finally began in earnest, and he would get frustrated and tired, Hera would pull him to help her with the engine work. Now that he was older, he realized that a lot of the things she called him to do were not very important. But the time they'd spent together had been essential at making Ezra realize that he belonged on the _Ghost_ and that, despite his past, he was wanted and needed. By the end of whatever trival job Hera set before them, he would have talked about his problems and together, they would find a solution, or he would have at least got out his frustration by venting to her, where no one else could hear.

"Hand me that big roll of engine tape, please." Hera held out one gloved hand.

"Sure." He paused for a moment. "Um…sorry for all that craziness the other night." He murmured, feeling like a fourteen-year-old kid again.

After a moment, she came out from behind the panel and placed the engine tape back in the toolbox. Then she sat down beside Ezra. Ezra cast a sidelong glance at her, and saw that her gaze had softened. "Ezra. There's no need to apologize. Ever." She removed her gloves and reached out to rub his arm comfortingly.

"I'm not really sure what's going on with me, lately." Ezra looked away, embarrassed, but Hera didn't miss how he leaned into her touch. Deep inside, he was still the same kid. Her kid. For a while, after losing Kanan, they both had been so adrift in their guilt and grief that they found it hard to reach out to each other. Now she felt like they were reconnecting, free from the nightmarish limbo they all seemed to be trapped in during the last years of the war.

"Start at the beginning, love." Hera said, turning more directly to face him. "Sometimes an extra set of eyes on a problem helps."

"Ok," he sighed, thinking for a long moment. "You know about the panic attacks. I guess…it got worse after the cave, when we brought Caleb home and he mentioned…Maul." Not wanting to distract Ezra, Hera kept the hatred off of her face at the mention of the Zabrak who had taken Kanan's sight. "It was like…Hoth again."

Hera nodded. "If there's anything none of us want to see again, it's that Zabrak."

"I panicked. I thought…he was coming for us. For a moment it was…so real." He shook his head; his fear had muddled his thinking, just like it had on that long-ago evacuation on Hoth. Maul was long dead, but for a few moments, he'd been back there, on Malachor.

"Then when we got to Sera…I fixated on the ship…in the bay across the way. I felt like they were up to no good, but I couldn't figure it out. I convinced myself I was imagining it. Then when the two from the parts shop followed us…" He took a shuddery breath. "All I saw was a threat. I wanted to end them."

Hera nodded, with a smirk. "I bet they got more than they bargained for."

"Did…did Sabine tell you about later that night?"

Hera shook her head, no.

"I was walking the ship in my sleep. Like I do here s-sometimes. I keep sensing a threat. More and more…that's been in the back of my mind." He yanked the tie out of his hair and ran his hand though it nervously, reminding her heartbreakingly of Kanan. Her breath caught in her throat, but she said nothing and he didn't notice. "Kriffing nightmares too, but that's nothing new."

Hera nodded and grimaced. They all had them, but Ezra and Zeb's were the most severe.

"The guy in the city square after Caleb got hurt set it off the worst. I…I thought that guy was about to do something to him."

"I know what you mean. I didn't feel too good about it myself, until he explained." Hera murmured, thoughtful.

"I had a panic attack in the square before we found him. Sabine helped me back from it. Then…last night."

"You felt a threat last night too." Hera mused.

"Yeah. I don't remember calling the wolves, but they were there."

"Sabine described them as guarding the house."

Ezra nodded. "I felt danger. I couldn't identify it, but I was sure that I would lose you all. That you would be taken from me by…whatever it was out there." He looked down, his hair hiding his distressed countenance. "I can't bear the thought of losing anyone again. The…f-fear…"

She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know, love."

He reached up and wiped his face. "I'd rather die first," Ezra sniffled, and she pulled him into a hug.

"Ezra…" She murmured into his dark hair, as his head fit against her shoulder, "I love you."

He murmured the same back to her. When she could tell he had settled a bit, she let him go. "The person you've become just…amazes me every day."

"I'm not that great." Ezra murmured. He glanced up at her, uncertainty in his eyes. "Jedi are supposed to control their fear…and I can't even…"

"You listen to me." She leaned forward, "Feeling fear is normal. It's what you decide to do with the fear that matters. And you're not alone. You have all of us."

Ezra nodded. "I know. And you have me. Hera…I'd do anything to protect all of you. Anything."

"I never doubted it, love." His words had, in turn, filled her eyes with tears. She tried to blink them away as she continued. "Whatever this is, either it will pass or we'll figure it out, but we'll do it together. You're never alone, but you have to talk to us."

"I know." he whispered, with a nod. "I will, Hera. I promise."

She measured him with her eyes, then nodded. They sat in silence a moment, then she looked over at him. "Hey, I need to take the Ghost out on a short run to do some diagnostics. I think the transpacitor is going bad. Want to come?"

He nodded. "Of course."

* * *

As soon as Caleb heard they were going out on the _Ghost_ , he wanted to go too. Hera had agreed. They were gone less than an hour, Ezra taking short jumps, while Hera measured the effect on the engine.

She wiped the grease off of her hands with a rag as she and Chopper came forward to the cockpit. "Okay, hyperdrive **is** getting too hot, which means we have to replace the transpacitor."

"Yeah?" Ezra said. "Guess the old girl is getting old." He patted the control panel.

She wacked him with the grease rag. "Don't you ever say that, Ezra Bridger. This ship has saved your tail more times than you or I can count."

Chopper began to list each time, which made Caleb giggle.

"Ok, fine." Ezra threw his hands up. "You two are not on my side, obviously," he raised an eyebrow at his apprentice and the murder droid, "so I guess I'm outnumbered."

"You are when you talk trash about my ship." Hera replied, leaning forward to slip an arm around Ezra and give him a hug. "But I forgive you." She took a seat in the co-pilot's chair and pulled Caleb into her lap. He yawned as he snuggled back into her.

The way back home was quiet. There was not much to say and neither one wanted to wake Caleb. He'd slept badly last night, and Hera had allowed him to sleep in her room so that she could calm him if he woke up again. Now, he dozed lightly in Hera's arms, opening his eyes periodically to look out of the viewport, then falling back asleep.

Finally, they arrived back at Lothal. Ezra took them into the atmosphere and landed the gently back at home. When Caleb felt the ship touch down and his mother shifted him in her arms, he let out a groan and tried to burrow further into Hera's shoulder.

"Somebody's ready for a nap." Ezra said wisely, as he looked over at Caleb.

"I'll put him down and see if Sabine can keep an ear out for him. Want to go into the city with me to try and find a new part?"

Ezra nodded. "Sure."

* * *

Twenty minutes later they were on their way to the city. Hera and Ezra went first to the usual repair shop to check and see if they had the part in stock, but they had no luck. They checked several stores and warehouses, before they discovered the right part for the aging ship. Hera was checking it over when Ezra felt the first stirrings of unease in his stomach. He tried to ignore it, but the longer time went on, the more certain he was that something bad was about to happen. The Force had a strange flow to it, and he had trouble connecting to the light.

As Hera looked over the part, Ezra laid his trembling hands on the counter and closed his eyes.

"We'll take it." Hera said, deciding the part would work and the price was acceptable. She was handing the credits over when she noticed how pale Ezra was. His eyes were closed and he was breathing hard.

"Ezra, are you okay?" Her heart dropped into her stomach when he startled at her touch.

"Hera. They're in trouble." Ezra managed in a hoarse voice. His eyes pleaded as he clutched her arm. "We've gotta get home. I can feel it."

"Keep the change!" Hera yelled as they left and she pulled Ezra outside. The sunny sky of Lothal had given over to storm clouds brewing above them. Hera had a bad feeling about this. "What's going on?" She said in a low voice, now that they had privacy.

He was far, far too pale and sheened in sweat. Ezra's eyes showed that his focus was far away. "Fighting. There's fighting. Running…" He whispered, his eyes unfocused as he allowed Hera to lead him. "Sabine needs me…she's afraid."

They reached the speeder and jumped in, Hera steering them towards home. It would take them over twenty minutes to get back there, at top speed. Hera slammed the accelerator to the floor. "Ezra. Keep talking, love."

He was quiet a long time, until she called his name in fear. "Ezra?"

"It's bad." He lowered his head, dropping it into his hands. His breathing was harsh in the windy environment of the speeder. "I can't feel Caleb anymore through our bond. I…"

"It's okay. Just breathe, Ezra." Her hand rubbed over his back as she tried to calm him down. It wasn't working; and he let out a moan. "Force help us." She muttered, pushing the speeder until the engine shrieked. Whatever was wrong at home, they should have known. Ezra had been trying to tell them for weeks…but they'd been too stupid to realize.

Time to kick herself later for it, she thought as she pulled her blaster, checked it and resumed full attention on the grassland in front of them. Hera just hoped they would make it in time.

* * *

Zeb came down the hallway silently, flipping off lights as he went and plunging the residence into a twilight. A few speeder bikes and a ship had landed out front a minute ago. Zeb hadn't known what to expect until he saw how heavily armed they all were. When he made it to Caleb's room, he saw Caleb sitting up in bed and Sabine kneeling beside him. The kid had tears down his cheeks…another nightmare maybe? But unlike before, he was completely quiet. His eyes were huge.

Zeb shut off the light and brought his rifle to the ready. Taking refuge in the house was not the best plan, but he was going to make it work. Sabine already had her Westars drawn. Zeb signed: **Saw** **_5 enemy._** She nodded as Zeb moved to one side of the doorway, then back into the hallway to go cover the front door. She held up her fist to get Caleb's attention, then she gestured to the closet.

Caleb nodded, following directions beautifully, despite his distraught state. Force bless that child, Sabine thought.

They heard a bumping noise and the breaking of glass. Then blaster shots rang out. She took a deep breath as she headed up the hallway to back Zeb up. Sometimes Ezra could feel what she was thinking, so she hoped against hope. **Ezra help. If you can hear us, please help us…**

* * *

The force attacking had been a smaller one, but they were very well trained. Sabine dropped two of the assailants, but two more entered to take their place. Chopper zoomed out of a corner, electro-shock prod extended, but he was blasted before he could stun anyone. The droid was blown back against the wall, letting out a scream. When he came to rest on the floor, he was silent and dead.

She and Zeb retreated behind the corner of the hallway as shots were taken at them. Her eyes met his own and she realized the desperation on his face. **More than 5** , he signed.

She nodded curtly. They would hold out. They had to. These attackers could not reach Caleb hiding in the back of the house.

They advanced in a blur of fury and firepower. When she caught sight of Zeb again, she saw he was fighting a human that could only be termed as a giant. The man was seven feet tall, rippling with muscles and armed with not only a blaster, but a vibroblade too. Next to the human was an Aqualish, who was actually backing up to take a shot at the Lasat.

But Sabine had problems of her own. She was hiding behind the couch, trading shots with a Theelin across the room. When she could, she threw a shot toward the Aqualish, to fight him off. Her last blast was a lucky one, and the Aqualish crumpled with a hole in his forehead. The flurry of blaster fire that followed drove her back into the hallway.

"Go!" Zeb yelled at her.

Blaster bolts splintered the wall beside her. One stray bolt hit her left hand Westar and the grip exploded, cutting her palm and forcing her to drop it.

She unwillingly retreated.

* * *

Zeb was hit with another blaster bolt too, this time to his right shoulder. He was thrown back against the wall of the living room, and he sank to his knees. Breathing heavily, he stood back up, using his bo-rifle as leverage. The room was eerily quiet; Sabine's Westars were silent, and Zeb couldn't bear to think of what that might mean. Flashes of Lasan beat in his brain like a second heartbeat and he clenched his teeth. Not again. He had to protect Caleb and Sabine, no matter what. He put the pain somewhere far away and got to his feet, his green eyes fixed on his human opponent. He gathered himself for a leap. Zeb plowed into the human, intending to cause as much damage as possible: slashing with his claws and throwing him back against the wall.

Then an invisible force grabbed Zeb and slammed him to the side, into the wall and then into the floor. His head hit hard. As darkness closed in, he heard a familiar voice say, "Leave him. Find the Mandalorian and the boy."

Zeb tried to rise again; his muscles twitched, his hands slipped in his own blood, but his body would not obey. For a time, the darkness took over.

* * *

Sabine entered Caleb's room and looked around, panicked. She grabbed at a tee shirt and wrapped it around her palm to slow the bleeding.

She opened the door to the closet and saw Caleb's frantic tear-streaked face. His lekku were knotted around each other in terror. "Stay in here," she whispered. "Do NOT come out, sweetheart—no matter what, okay?"

Caleb nodded slowly as she reached out to stroke his hair. Then she saw one of his hands gripping Kanan's lightsaber. "Can I borrow this?" she asked. He nodded, more tears streaming down his face. She couldn't help it, she knelt and wrapped both arms around him. "I love you, Caleb. Be brave, okay?"

"Sabine…" He said in a strangled whisper, shaking his head. His blue eyes focused on her as she backed away.

She stood up, wiping at her face. "Don't come out. For anything." She heard footsteps coming down the hallway and she hit the button, shutting the door.

She readied the lightsaber, comforted by the familiar blue glow. When the door to the bedroom was forced open, she saw that it was the blond spacer they had met in the center of town the other day. The one that they had thought had come to Caleb's aid. She shook her head, unable to understand until he stepped in, holding a very familiar implement.

An Inquisitor's lightsaber. As he ignited it, its bloody glow reminded her of everything they'd lost.

She spoke through clenched teeth. "You! Ezra knew something was wrong with you." She swung Kanan's blade to knock the red blade to the side.

"Your husband knew nothing I did not want him to know." It was now that she saw the real monster under his calm, mild features. It was as if he'd been wearing a mask that was now stripped away; his eyes had turned a sickly golden yellow, just like all the other Inquisitors she'd ever faced. She would have sold her soul for a grenade, she thought as she blocked him.

He matched her bladework, and pressed an attack that drove her toward the far wall. As she riposted, he began to smile widely. "Bridger taught you well, for a non-Force sensitive."

"I was taught by Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Knight, you son-of-a-bantha." Sabine spat, scoring a glancing hit along the Inquisitor's arm.

The Inquisitor hissed in pain. A flurry of slashing blows pushed her towards the far wall. He then used a Force push to press her against the wall and hold her there. Kanan's saber was yanked from her hand by the Force.

The blond redblade held out his hand and Kanan's lightsaber flew into it. Sabine stayed pinned against the wall, unable to move as he approached. "Oh, yes. Kanan Jarrus. One of the few Jedi to survive the purge. Yet he did not survive the war, did he? Fascinating." He examined the lightsaber for a moment before attaching it to his own belt. "So, where is Jarrus's son?"

Sabine spit in his face, cursing in Mando'a. The man grinned as he wiped it away. He gestured and Sabine began to struggle for breath as the Force closed around her throat. "I will find him, either way. I have plenty of reinforcements on my ship." He leaned in as he watched her struggle for air. His hand reached up and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

"Nothing to say?" He asked her gently, moving to run his fingers across her cheek. Her eyes flashed with hatred. "Very well, if you are of no further use to me…"

"No! Don't hurt her!"

Caleb had emerged from the closet. The moment he did, everything in the room began to rumble, as if a miniature earthquake had gone off. Several starship models hanging from the ceiling exploded into plastic shards that rained down upon them. From the sound of it, everything in the entire house began to shake or break.

The blond man laughed gently. It was an eerie sound—mirthless and mocking. He released the pressure on Sabine's neck, as he put his lightsaber hilt up to her temple. "Keep it up and I'll ignite the blade, Caleb Jarrus. Surely you've had enough training to know what that will do to her."

The tremors in the room stopped. Caleb's jaw clenched with helpless fear and anger as Sabine gasped for breath and tried to recover.

The blond man nodded to the Theelin. "Do it."

The Theelin leveled a strange looking gun toward Caleb and the dart hit him in a lek. Caleb had long enough to reach for the tiny thing before his eyes rolled back up in his head and he went down limp.

Tears streaked down Sabine's face. "You karking redblade bastard—" she screamed, before she was shot too. She landed in a heap at the Inquisitor's feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks so much for reading! If you liked it, I would love to hear from you!!


	12. Chapter 12

Roxi carried the little boy in her arms carefully, following Bosh. The giant had the Mandalorian thrown over his shoulder like a sack of Loth-wheat, but the bounty hunter was loath to be rough with the kid. Tarek wouldn't accept it if his prize was damaged; she'd been with him long enough to know what he was capable of if displeased.

And this kid…he had guts, and she felt a grudging respect for that, even if he was Jedi scum.

The Inquisitor held up a hand when they reached the door, and at the same time, they heard the howl of a wolf in the air.

Between them and the ship, a lone Loth-wolf stood sentinel.

The creature was much taller than a human, and anger gleamed in its golden eyes. The body of the guard Tarek had left in charge at the end of the ramp lay at its feet. It began to slowly approach, a growl coming from its bloody jaws.

Tarek walked out to meet it. He reached back to draw his blade, then waited for its advance, fixing his gaze on the yellow-eyed creature as it slowly stalked toward them. The stare down continued as Roxi and Bosh exchanged nervous glances. Something was about to happen. The Inquisitor was doing something with the Force; Roxi wasn't Force sensitive, but she had been around enough to know that look of intense concentration. The tension built in the air until the wolf gave a snarl and finally leaped.

And that was when the Inquisitor thrust forward with his lightsaber and caught the beast in the front shoulder. He also used the Force to sling the Loth-wolf off to the side.

"Go." Tarek told them, grinning. She realized he was actually going to enjoy battling this strange creature, and it made her shudder. She followed directions, however, not knowing if she was more frightened of the Loth-wolf or the Inquisitor.

Tarek turned to cover their retreat, following them toward the ship.

The Loth-wolf was back on its feet, Roxi saw as she reached the ramp. She could see the gleaming white of the bone of the wolf's shoulder through the slashed and burnt skin and hair around the wound. But it wasn't nearly down. It was coming fast for a second attack.

The ship's engine was blasting. Bosh went in, yelling to Dux to lift off. Roxi couldn't help but stop at the top of the ramp--she was mesmerized by the fight going on down below. The Inquisitor had delivered two more severe slashes to the animal; one to its nose and the other a long gaping wound along its right side. She thought she saw it snap at his arm, but then the creature was pushed back with the Force, snarling and growling. By this time, Dux had the ship hovering at least fifteen feet off the ground, but with his heightened reflexes, the Inquisitor leaped it easily. He landed on the ramp, bloody and grinning: a fearsome portrait of evil.

"We've got him; go! Go!" she called over the ship's comm. The ramp began to close, just as she felt something heavy slam into the bottom of it. The wolf? She tried to imagine the leap it must have made. It frightened her, and she looked to the Inquisitor.

His arm was dripping with blood—he obviously **had** been bitten badly by the Loth-wolf. "I-inquisitor?"

"I will be fine. Secure the child and the Mandalorian for the jump." Tarek said, ignoring the blood that dripped on the floor as he passed her.

"Yes, Inquisitor."

* * *

By the time they got to the house, Ezra leaped from the speeder with his lightsaber drawn and ignited. He lifted his hand and the door flew open. He had disappeared into the shadowed house before Hera leaped out of the speeder and came at a run.

"Caleb!" She called. "Sabine! Zeb!" Her hand slapped the wall for the lightswitch. When it came on, she gasped. Zeb was lying on the floor, unmoving, his purple fur matted with blood.

"Zeb—" she cried, going to her knees beside him. His pulse was weak, but there. She did a quick inventory of his injuries, then she got up to go for the medkit.

Ezra was just standing there, in the hallway, staring into Caleb's room. His eyes, black in the gloom, were unfocused and frightened. As if…as if he'd seen the unseeable.

"Ezra?" She breathed, grabbing his arm. "Tell me they're not in there…" Unable to wait for an answer, she darted into Caleb's room, looking around with wide eyes. The closet door was open, and his bed was rumpled. She looked for anything else out of place, but there was nothing, except droplets of blood on the floor. A white t-shirt that belonged to Caleb was wadded up on the floor. She grabbed it and saw it was stained with blood. Not enough to be from a fatal wound. But blood nonetheless. She shoved it in a pocket, not wanting Ezra to see it.

"Th-they're gone." Ezra's voice was far away as she came back out. He was holding Sabine's blaster in one hand. "H-Hera…" He leaned against her and she gathered him into her arms. She could feel him trembling as the panic amplified itself each moment. What did he mean? Where were Caleb and Sabine? How in the nine Sith hells was she going to hold both Ezra and herself together? Her children were gone. And Force! Zeb. She had to get back to Zeb.

"Just breathe, okay? Ezra please." She released him, placing a hand on his cold cheek and turning his eyes back to her. "Stay with me. We…We need to help Zeb, first, okay? He's been injured."

Ezra nodded slowly, still struggling against his panic. Hera stepped into the bathroom and came back with the medkit. It was then she heard Zeb groan. She grabbed Ezra by the arm and pulled him with her into the living room. They both found the Lasat struggling to sit up.

"Zeb! Stay still." Hera knelt by him.

"Th-th- kits…" He breathed, rolling on his side as the pain wracked his body. "H-he t-took them…"

"Who did this?" Hera plucked the medscanner from the kit and began to use it. The Lasat's vitals were slipping from the stable range into something more worrisome.

"Guy. From the square…other day." Zeb panted. "Bl-blond one."

Hera's eyes met Ezra's. The Jedi's face was unreadable as he stood up and began to pace.

"There were…at least s-six or seven of them." Zeb managed as Hera began to use the laser cauterizer on his wounds. When she had the blood loss slowed, she gave him a sprayhypo for the pain. "T-they were trained. And one…one of them could use the Force. The b-blond guy, I think."

His eyes shifted to Ezra. He'd stopped pacing and stood silently, looking out of the broken front window.

"Ezra…" Hera called, getting to her feet and approaching him.

"I felt something, but I didn't know." Ezra said through gritted teeth. Both his fists were clenched, and a rattling of objects moved through the house, as if they were the center of some sort of tiny earthquake which conducted itself through the house like a wave. "The Force was trying to tell me…but I was too far gone to realize…" He reached up and wound both hands into his hair.

Hera's eyes went wide. The rattling became louder and more powerful. Ezra's inner loss of control was manifesting in the Force. "Ezra, love…you can't blame..."

He said nothing, but somewhere in the house, there was the sound of something breaking. She tried to reach out for him, but he pushed her away.

"No—this is my fault." He muttered as he staggered outside. He fell to his knees, finally breaking down completely once he was alone. Hera stood a moment, paralyzed with indecision.

"Give him a minute." Zeb groaned as he pushed himself to a sitting position. "He DID try to tell us." Zeb panted. "We didn't listen either. Karking hells…"

"Don't get up." Hera knelt, her own control rapidly eroding. She was unable to hold it back anymore, and turned away as a bitter sob escaped her.

Zeb said nothing, but pulled her in with his good arm. She collapsed and buried her face against him, as the deluge of tears finally let go. When her sobs exhausted themselves, she sat up and wiped her face.

"Better?" Zeb murmured gently.

She nodded. She felt empty-scoured clean by her tears and able to think more clearly.

Whoever had taken Caleb and Sabine had not done so to kill them. She felt certain of that. Perhaps it was someone working for an old enemy of theirs. Perhaps it was someone with a grudge against Jedi, but somehow she felt as if there was more to it. If this was just simple revenge she would have come home to find them dead.

"We're going after them." Just saying the words made her feel better—as if saying it gave her power over the situation.

The Lasat nodded. "You just tell me what to do, and I'll get it done, Hera."

She laid a hand on his arm. "Rest, right now. I'll get Ezra."

* * *

Waves of anger and fear washed over Ezra as his tears spent themselves. The shimmering waters of the Force were too far away to touch; the chill of a wind with rain on it swept over him.

Pounding like a heartbeat, the dark side pummeled him, squirming in his mind like after Kanan had been blinded. The Sith holocron had been working on him then, day and night burrowing into Ezra's mind— until Kanan had taken it to give it to the Bendu for safe keeping.

How was he going to get rid of this? His heart felt heavy, as if he'd taken on a weight that was impossible to carry.

Caleb. Sabine.

Where had they been taken?

Why couldn't he feel his connection with either one of them anymore?

He extended his senses. Feeling his bond with Caleb and Sabine should have been difficult, but within reach; however, he could feel nothing. Their bond slid through his fingers like cold synthsilk.

His jaw ached. It was clenched against more tears, and the dark side was humming around him like the purr of a giant cat. It urged him to gather more and more power to him, in order to make him strong, in order to show him where his loved ones were, to make sure that nothing ever happened to them again. With the dark he could make them safe, keep them safe, and they would be his forever. And if…if Sabine or Caleb had been hurt…he could use it to make those responsible pay. The dark side promised all this and more.

 _Careful, Ezra._ Kanan's voice. _This isn't you._

"I know…" He groaned, trying to find his way out of the maze in his mind. He made a helpless noise as he tried to release the dark power he'd drawn to him in his grief. There was a trembling in the air around him as he finally managed to release his hold on the dark side and let it vanish in the cooling air. He sagged with exhaustion—this battle was won…for now.

The white Loth-wolf came out of the grass, limping. It made its way to the Jedi in the front of the house and bumped his downcast head with the side of its muzzle. Ezra looked up as he felt its pain in the Force.

He reached up and stroked its fur, careful of the wound on its nose. As he looked over the Loth-wolf, he saw that it had suffered a great deal of damage. Damage done by a lightsaber.

**Redblade came.**

**Took them.**

**Fought hard.**

"I know." Ezra nodded at the deep sorrow flowing from the Loth-wolf. For long moments, their pain mixed and mingled until Ezra found it hard to say what came from him and what came from the animal. It wanted to comfort him—he could feel the anxiety, sadness and anger flowing from his Force signature and into its own.

The animal laid down in front of Ezra, placing its head in the Jedi's lap.

"Okay." He whispered, burying his hands in its fur and stroking it gently. It had come to save him from himself. But…

His wife and Padawan were gone. He should have sensed the danger. The guilt yawned like a hungry mouth, and the dark side rose like a wall of black duracrete with millions of eyes, all staring accusingly at him.

 _It's not what you did or didn't do. It's what you do next that matters, Ezra._ Kanan's voice, very near his left ear again. Ezra suddenly sensed his presence so vividly that he actually turned his head. He felt the Jedi's comforting presence and actually felt the warmth and weight of Kanan's hand on his shoulder. _Do you understand?_

"Yes, Master," he murmured, tears stinging his eyes again.

Kanan's touch had brought back the Light; its blinding radiance was now surging within him. He gathered its warm waters around him as it murmured hope to counteract the dark and calm his mind. Ezra realized he needed to meditate to clear his mind for what was coming.

When he lifted his head, he saw that Hera was cautiously approaching him. She was staring at the Loth-wolf, who was still lying with his head draped across Ezra's legs.

"Force, Ezra. It's hurt…"

"By the redblade that took Caleb and Sabine. The wolf tried to save them."

"Kriff." She knelt beside the majestic animal. Slowly and hesitantly, she reached out and stroked its head. It snorted gently, then leaned into her caresses. "Oh, Ezra…" Hera said, softly. "He's going to be okay?"

Ezra looked the wolf over. It was in pain, but he could sense how the Force was winding around the animal, concentrating in the wounds and slowly knitting them back together. "He will be. What about Zeb?"

"He's stabilized. We might have to give him some fluids, more bacta, but yeah."

"I'll get them back." He promised.

"We'll all get them back." Hera murmured. "No one has to do this alone."

Ezra nodded. "I need to meditate before…before we go. Maybe I can sense where they are."

"Of course. It'll take me some time to get Chop up and running. The bastards shot him."

Ezra shook his head. He'd been so overwrought that he hadn't even paused to wonder where the astromech was.

Hera continued, "We'll need Chopper on the mission. And I want to call Kallus. He might know something about this…Inquisitor."

Ezra nodded. Kallus was the Inspector General of Intelligence for the New Republic and had access to an incredible amount of information. Perhaps there was something he could find out.

The Loth-wolf raised its head and looked at both of them. Then, apparently satisfied with something, the creature got to its feet and disappeared into the grass. Hera stood up and held out her hand to Ezra. Together, they headed for the house. There was a lot to do.

* * *

Sabine opened her eyes in semi-darkness. Her head was pounding. The room she was in was small; it had once had bunks but they'd been ripped out. Only the holes where they'd been attached to the wall remained. She knew she was on a ship; she had lived on the _Ghost_ long enough to know the sound of a vessel in hyperspace.

The ship lights on a night cycle lined everything with a bluish-silver light. She looked around; she was lying on a pallet on the floor. Her hands and feet were fastened together with binders and there was a clink as she sat up.

A chain went from the wall to something around her neck. She reached up, feeling the metal collar that enclosed her throat. As far as she could tell as she examined it with her fingers, it was seamless. As she looked around further, she saw a bundle which she'd first taken as blankets. But no, it was a small huddled unconscious figure at the end of the pallet.

Thank the Force! "Caleb." She crawled as far as the chain would allow and saw that, like her, he wore binders on his hands and ankles, but seemed otherwise alright.

She carefully smoothed his hair away from his face, and he began to wake.

"Momma." He mumbled, leaning in to bury his face against her. "M' head hurts."

"Caleb…I'm so sorry," she rubbed his back softly, the only thing she could do to offer him comfort.

"Sabine?" His eyes were large and instantly full of terror as he opened them and looked around at the unfamiliar semi-darkness. Sabine saw his lekku were winding around each other in fear. "Where are we?"

"I don't know, sweetheart." Images were coming back to her. Whatever they'd been dosed with made her feel nauseous and weak, and her memories were confused. The man from the city square the other day…he'd had an Inquisitor blade. He'd been able to use the Force. They were on a ship, headed somewhere away from Lothal. Those things she knew. She also knew they had to get out of here. "Cale, can you unlock our binders…with the Force?" she asked gently, holding out her hands.

He took a deep breath and tried. Sabine pulled, but they didn't come unlocked. He tried again, but nothing happened. "I can't…" Caleb looked up at her, and rubbed at his forehead. "The Force is gone."

She felt her heart squeeze painfully for him. They must have dosed him with something to inhibit his abilities. "It's okay, Cale. Just try…try to rest."

He sniffled as he snuggled into her. Stuck in the binders, she wrapped her arms around him awkwardly and tucked his head under her chin. Soon she felt her shirt grow wet from his tears, and that started her crying as well as they clung together in the darkness.

* * *

Alexsandr Kallus switched off his comm and rubbed at his forehead. Then he hit the intercom for his assistant.

The assistant, a young purple Twi'lek, entered the room. "Inspector General Kallus, sir."

"Yes, Agent Je'nal. I need you to pull everything on the Inquisitors from the last five years. Put it on an encoded data chip for me."

"Sir." Je'nal nodded.

"Um…also, I will be gone for an undetermined amount of time."

"May I say where?"

"Simply say that I have gone to assist with a family emergency. You may contact me through the comms if you need to."

"Will you need your ship readied?"

"That would be very helpful, yes. Thank you."

She nodded, and left to perform the required functions. If Je'nal was anything, she was efficient. She knew protocol and followed it, almost to her detriment. In fact, she reminded Kallus a lot of himself at that age. He would make sure she didn't make the same mistakes of blind obedience that had been his own, however.

Kallus reached out to a small dull yellow meteorite on his desk and hefted it in his hand thoughtfully. It had been a gift from Zeb, a couple of years ago. It was a tangible reminder of the beginning of their friendship, the beginning of everything that had brought him to a second chance in life. It wasn't the same meteorite, of course—that had been lost long ago when Kallus had been outed as Fulcrum.

But the Lasat had apparently gone back to the moon they had crashed on, and he had retrieved another chunk of the rock and had gifted it to him on his fiftieth birthday. It remained one of Kallus's most prized possessions, a tangible reminder of his connection to the _Ghost_ crew.

He considered them family. His connections to the _Ghost_ crew remained the most important of his adult life. As he'd told Hera, Ezra and Zeb many times, he wouldn't have left the Empire without them. As ISB Agent Kallus, he'd done a lot of things that he wasn't proud of and if not for Zeb, he would never have had the chance to make up for those things. It was the whole reason he'd stayed involved with the New Republic, instead of retiring to civilian life. He had too much to make right.

So when he'd heard Hera's worried voice over the line, he'd immediately offered to fly to Lothal to help search for her child and Sabine. When she'd said the word Inquisitor, he'd insisted. He was at his offices on Naboo anyway, and the jump to Lothal would take around six to eight hours.

"Your ship will be ready before 1700," Je'nal said, coming back in. She came over and placed a datachip in his hand. "Good luck, sir."

He flipped off his desk lamp and grabbed his jacket from the chair. "Thank you." He turned to place a hand on her shoulder. "We're done for the evening if you would like to go home early."

"Oh no sir. I have too much work to complete." She shook her head, her lekku swinging softly.

"Agent Je'nal. The work will still be here tomorrow." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't force me to order you to take a vacation."

Her violet eyes widened. Of course, she would take him seriously. "It's a joke."

"Yes, sir." She turned to go, and shaking his head, he followed her out, heading to his temporary quarters.

During the jump to Lothal, he planned to review all the intel about the Inquisitors and cross reference it with the security feed of the abduction. If everything went right, Kallus would find that he had intel on this individual, and they would have some hint of where he and his victims could be found. Then…they would rescue Cale and Sabine. Cale had to be…what? Seven? Eight, now? It seemed like it had only been a year or two ago that he'd allowed the little toddler to ride on his shoulders around the base at Endor.

His face hardened. The kidnapper had stolen the wrong little boy. And if he knew Sabine, she was planning an escape right now. At least he hoped she was, but it mattered neither way. If Kallus didn't have intel on this kidnapper, he damn well knew where to look and he would bring the full brunt of his resources to bear on this situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone. This is chapter 12. 3 more to go before you guys are caught up with my story. (I just finished Chapter 15.) There are more to come as well. I have a prom tomorrow night (I'm a chaperone...eh...), so please make my night more interesting with your comments. Thanks for reading!!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The lights brightened as the daytime cycle began. Sabine's eyes barely cracked opened to see a Theelin and a man looking at them from the doorway. She shut her eyes immediately, wanting to listen to see what they might reveal. Caleb was still nestled against her and she kept her arms around him, even though they ached from holding the unnatural position for too long.

"So, that's the baby Jedi, huh?" The black-haired man said, raising an eyebrow as he adjusted one of the straps on his flight cap. "He don't look like much. Weird to see one of them tailheads with hair like that."

"Shut up, Dax." The Theelin approached, followed by the human.

Sabine opened her eyes, pulling Caleb back against her body so quickly that the little boy began to wake up. She gave her captors as fierce a look as she could manage.

"Relax. Just bringing you some food and water." The Theelin tossed two bottles of water and two ration bars on their pallet.

Sabine narrowed her eyes at the blue-haired woman, but said nothing.

"Sabine?" Caleb looked around, rubbing at his eyes, swollen and red-rimmed from crying.

"Don't say anything." Sabine told him, keeping her eyes on the Theelin.

"Look. Do you or the kid need to use the facilities? We've got a few more hours in hyperspace." The Theelin raised an eyebrow.

Caleb looked at Sabine and nodded slightly before crawling out of her lap. She could see that he was scared. "I'm going with him," she said in a low voice, tucking her feet under her to get to her knees and up. If these two took Caleb out of here she might not see him again.

"One at a time." The man, Dax, said as he shoved her back down with a rough touch.

"The kid first. I'll take him," the Theelin said. While Dax drew his blaster to cover her, the Theelin leaned down and unlocked the restraints on Caleb's ankles. "The other binders stay on," she said, grabbing the binders fastening his hands together to lead him.

Sabine looked the Theelin in the eyes as she got up on her knees again. "Don't hurt him," she growled through clenched teeth.

"Oh, I'm not the one you have to worry about."

Sabine watched them go with her stomach in a knot. The entire time, pilot cap watched her with his blaster pointing at her. He seemed mostly bored and tried to talk to her, but she shut him down with a look.

She took a bottle of water and maneuvered it to where she could push the release for the spout. Hands shaking, she drank greedily; thirst seemed to be a side effect of whatever they'd dosed her with.

She felt relief when Caleb re-entered the room safe and sound. "Sit," the Theelin gestured.

Caleb did, and his ankles were locked together again.

"You're not going to be any trouble," the Theelin narrowed her eyes at Sabine. "Your binders **stay** on."

Sabine nodded, leaning her head forward as the Theelin unhooked the neck chain.

"Sabine…" Caleb met her eyes with fear.

"I'll be right back." Sabine said gently.

Caleb nodded.

She made her way out in the hall, hobbled by the chain on her ankles. She wasn't intending to do anything but observe while she was out of the cell they'd put them in. Living with Ezra as long as she had had taught her to pay attention to details.

However, if she thought they would see a lot of the ship, she was disappointed. The 'fresher was across the hallway. She noticed however, that she was on a smaller ship. It was still larger than the _Ghost_ , but not by much.

When they returned, Caleb was nibbling on the edge of a ration bar. She was glad to see him eating. At the Theelin's gesture, she sat back down on the pallet of green blankets. The collar was locked back around her neck.

The Theelin pulled out a hypospray. "Sorry kid. At least this won't put you back to sleep this time."

Caleb bit his bottom lip as she hit him with the hypo before Sabine could react. She could see how the medicine affected him; his eyes looked a little hazy as he slid closer to her. She leaned into him protectively, grinding her teeth together in anger as Dax and the Theelin left.

"You okay, little cub?" She asked, leaning in to kiss the top of his head.

Caleb nodded, his eyes shiny with tears.

"Eat something. We need to stay strong. Don't worry. Ezra's going to come for us."

"What if he can't…find us?"

"He will." She felt a chill of worry down her spine, though. How was Ezra handling this? The mere idea of Maul returning had sent him into a downward spiral. What did their capture mean for him? How was Hera? Had Zeb survived the attack? She didn't think he was on the ship…which might mean that…

"Sabine. Are you okay?"

The kid, always perceptive, had noticed the tension in her body and the way she'd bitten her lip, or either he'd read her in the Force.

"Yeah," she promised. Taking another sip of water, she began to eat her own ration bar. She wasn't surprised that it tasted like sand.

* * *

Kallus parked the small transport next to the _Ghost_ and climbed out. Hera stood in the front yard, shielding her eyes from the morning sun.

"Alexsandr," Hera said softly as he approached. "Thank you for coming."

He set his bag down and then reached out to hug the Twi'lek. "Hera. We're going to bring them back. Whatever it takes."

She nodded as he let her go. "Come inside."

Kallus's eyes went wide when he saw Zeb. The Lasat was sitting on the couch. White bandages showed bright against his purple fur. Hera had told him that Zeb had been injured when the attackers had broken in to the house, but Kallus hadn't known how badly.

"Force, Zeb, don't get up." Kallus set his bag down.

"Don't worry Kallus. Savin' my energy for the beatdown I'm gonna repay them with, brother."

"I'm with you." Kallus looked around. "Where's Ezra?"

"Meditating." Hera looked grave, and Kallus wanted to ask, but he didn't. "I'll get him."

"None of us are takin' this well." Zeb muttered, watching Hera leave the room. "Ezra was…training the kit to be a Jedi."

"Kriff." Kallus muttered. "So our ex-Inquisitor seems to have been trolling for a Force-sensitive. Maybe to carry on the family legacy?" He frowned darkly.

Zeb nodded. "If he IS an ex-Inquisitor."

"He is." Kallus replied. Chopper rolled out from the back, warbling. "Chopper." He greeted the astromech.

He put down a small holo emitter, then began to bring up the information from his encrypted data chip.

Ezra entered the room, followed by Hera.

"Kallus." Ezra said, coming forward to take the man's hand. Kallus ended up pulling Ezra into a one-armed hug. The young man seemed to have gotten taller and more care-worn since they'd last seen each other, but it was understandable.

"I'm sorry." He murmured as he let go. "I'm here to help."

Ezra nodded in reply. They all sat down, and Hera began the briefing. "Okay, what do you have for us, Alexsandr?"

Kallus eyed Chopper. "Can you pull up your security footage and project it for us, Chopper?"

Chopper projected it and put it on a loop.

"One of your kidnappers used to be a bounty hunter. Roxi Shan. We've followed her over the last three years. She used to be a lawful bounty hunter until she came on our radar associating with other questionable people that we were watching." He gestured at his emitter, where a picture of the female woman showed up on screen. "She's wanted by several crime syndicates in three systems, but no one has been able to collect her. She's made quite a few enemies. I believe she's…here on your footage."

Kallus gestured to the woman carrying an unconscious Caleb out of the front door.

"As for our possible Inquisitor…he appears to be one of the escaped apprentices. Lelan Tarek. The war ended before he was raised to be a full Inquisitor." Kallus brought up his Imperial file picture on the holo. The human was staring at the camera with a smirk on his face, but that wasn't the most striking thing about him. His eyes were golden yellow.

Ezra felt like throwing up. "That's him. The man from the center of town." He swallowed hard as he shifted his eyes to Hera, who stared at the holo angrily. He wasn't even trying to read her, but he felt the anger and anxiety pouring off of her. "He seemed very interested in Caleb. Maybe he was about to make the grab, but when we all showed up, he had to change the plan."

"We know that Inquisitors were always searching for Force sensitive children." Kallus said. "We've uncovered plans that show Vader and the Emperor wanted to build an army of Force sensitives. Perhaps this Tarek…"

"…is trying to complete the mission, starting with Caleb." Ezra finished, gritting his teeth.

"Then why did he take Sabine?" Zeb asked.

"Leverage." Ezra replied grimly, getting up to pace the room. He wanted to lash out at someone, anyone, but indulging his anger wouldn't help.

"We actually know only a little about Tarek after the war's end. The mercenaries and criminals he gathered around him have been involved in spice jacking, and smuggling among other things. He and his crew of misfits have been seen on several planets, including Enarc, Ylix and Vulpter."

"Very well. We go check these planets first," Hera said, standing up.

"My operatives will be on the lookout elsewhere as well," Kallus said, standing. "If they hear about Tarek or the bounty hunter, we will know immediately."

"Ezra?" Hera had made her way over to the Jedi. "We could check with Hondo."

Ezra nodded. He hadn't even thought of calling Hondo, but it was an excellent idea. "I'll comm him when we get in the air."

* * *

Once they landed, the Inquisitor had ordered the prisoners installed in the facility brig. Their captors had kept them both chained and they made their slow way across what looked to be an abandoned factory floor. There were machines that Sabine didn't recognize, but it was clear that this facility had been used at one time to manufacture some type of droids. There was an iron foundry, as well as assembly lines, but all the equipment was old and nonfunctional.

Caleb watched everything with wide eyes. The abandoned factory was shadowed and scary. The blond man that he remembered from the town square on Lothal stalked ahead, saying little to the crew or prisoners, but Caleb saw how his crew looked at each other uneasily. It was evident that the man frightened them.

He stumbled due to the binders and chain on his ankles and fell to the ground. Sabine stopped immediately, reaching down to help him. "Are you okay?"

"Get up."

It was the crewmember named Bosh. He glowered down at Sabine and grabbed her by the arm, hauling her to her feet. She watched the way his eyes took her in, traveling over her figure in a way that made her stomach lurch and warning bells go off. "Keep the kid moving," he growled.

Her eyes flashed at him as she helped Caleb up. "Come on."

They were placed in a room. There were no windows, no furniture and no bunks. Again, the only thing in the room was a mattress on the metal floor, except that there was a small 'fresher room without a door. Once again, they chained Sabine to the wall by a collar. No one came in for a long time, then Bosh appeared at the doorway.

"You," he said, looking at Caleb.

Sabine got to her feet. "Where are you taking him?"

"Sit down, schutta." He told her.

"No." She stood between him and Caleb.

He drew a blaster.

She lifted her chin and threw an arm up protectively. With a smirk, the giant man stunned her.

"No!" Caleb knelt beside her in panic.

"She's only stunned. Come on, boy." The large man grabbed his arm and yanked him toward the door.

Caleb was barely able to keep up with his shorter stride and the chains on his ankles. He was half-dragged down the hallway and into a dark room. The room actually had furnishings including a couch, bed and tables. There were two or three computer terminals, and a short, black astromech monitoring them.

The blond man was sitting on a mat on the floor, in a meditation stance. When Caleb came in, his golden eyes opened.

"Leave us." Tarek's eyes flicked to the giant that had half-dragged the boy in the room.

"Are you…sure…Lord Inquisitor?"

"Of course."

The giant backed out of the room and Caleb was left staring at the man who had kidnapped him.

"Take a seat." Tarek gestured.

Caleb said nothing and stood.

The Inquisitor smirked. "Very well. I assume you have questions."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Tarek. I'm a fellow Force-sensitive, like yourself."

"You follow the dark side."

The man smiled. "Yes. The light is weak. The dark side teaches that we should use our feelings and desires…our fear, anger and passions. Only they give us power."

Caleb looked at Tarek and for a second, his Force sight revealed the same darkness from his dream, the same ravenous evil with sharp white teeth. Then his Force sight faded out again. "My master says the light is what a Jedi should embrace."

"Your Jedi master has had his own struggles with the dark side. Much like your father, he is flawed."

"You don't know anything about Ezra or my father." Caleb said, lifting his chin as he glared at the man stubbornly.

"Kanan Jarrus? The Empire's records on your father were very complete." Tarek smiled again. It was a strange smile, that seemed to suck the light out of the room. "Would you like to know what they said? The Jedi were traitors to the Empire, boy. They turned on their own soldiers during the Clone Wars." He held out his hand and a holo emitter floated to rest in his palm. "TL-12…"

The droid let out a series of beeps, and a shaky video feed began. It was hard to see what was going on at first, but then it focused on a tall female Jedi. Caleb recognized Master Billaba instantly from the mental image Ezra had shown him. Her face was troubled and her eyes tightened as she drew her lightsaber. Blaster bolts flew, and she began to deflect them using her blade.

"Good soldiers follow orders," a distracted voice said on the footage.

Caleb barely heard it because his entire attention was focused on a smaller form standing next to Master Billaba. The boy looked a lot like himself…but older and minus the lekku. It had to be his father, as a child. "Run or fight, but do not just stand there," she called as she began cutting down troopers.

"Yes, Master." The boy drew a lightsaber and began fighting off the wave of white armored troopers.

"That's…" Caleb began, drawn to the recording like a magnet. He walked toward the holo, his eyes wide.

"Your father. Yes."

Caleb reached out a hand, as if he could touch the recording from so many years ago. The Inquisitor smiled, feeding off the fear and anxiety that radiated out from the boy.

Depa Billaba spoke through the effort of cutting down the attackers, "There are too many, and they'll soon cut off any escape. Caleb…we cannot win this battle…you **must** run."

Caleb felt a coldness upon hearing his name. She had called Kanan…Caleb. He had the same name as his father? No one had ever told him that.

He watched as the boy in the holo ran, seeming to unnaturally dodge the blaster shots of the soldier whose cam had caught the footage. Caleb felt tears slip down his cheeks.

"After the Jedi turned on their troopers, your father ran. Like a coward. He left his Jedi Master there to die."

"No…the troopers attacked first…I…"

"Is that what they told you?" The blond man shook his head slowly and sadly. "I'm so sorry, child."

Caleb shook his head mutely as his hands clenched into fists.

"She died. That very day." The blond man raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps they did not think you could handle knowing the truth."

The footage cut out after Master Billaba fell to the ground. Caleb felt sick as he raised his gaze to the Inquisitor's. "The Jedi were not evil. They did good in the universe."

The golden eyed man shook his head. "You will learn the truth about the Jedi here, apprentice."

"I already have a master," Caleb said coldly, feeling his stomach twisting into tighter knots.

"Right." The Inquisitor's white teeth showed in a smile. "You always have a choice, but you may want to change your mind if you value the Mandalorian's life."

Again, there was a flash of Force sight. Caleb heard voices around him. _I should have known. We are going to find them. The kidnappers took the wrong little boy. It doesn't matter, as long as I get them back._ The voices sounded like Ezra's and his mom's, and someone's he couldn't identify, but he had to fight back tears. Whatever they'd given him was starting to wear off and he felt able to sense a trickle of the Force. He focused his mind and tried to reach out to Ezra. _Master…it's me…p…please help…"_

Apparently, the Inquisitor felt the attempt to communicate through the Force. "You need time to think about what we've talked about. Bosh…"

The cruel giant came in the room. "Take the boy back." Tarek said as Bosh placed a heavy hand on the boy's shoulder. "And…increase his dosage."

"Yes, Inquisitor."

* * *

Roxi had argued with Bosh over the increase in the kid's medication, so much so that they almost got into a fist fight. She was still seething after leaving the medbay where she'd watched the stupid banthabrain inject the kid with what had to be an overdose of Force suppressant. It was double the dose for someone of the kid's size.

She'd immediately grabbed a datapad to read up on the symptoms of overdose. According to the holonet, the kid might see shit, he might sleep for days, become more suggestible, or suffer debilitating headaches. Calling Bosh a kriffing nerfherder, she had left the medbay before she shot him.

As she let out a deep breath, she realized she was more disgusted with herself. She hadn't signed up for kidnapping and drugging kids. In her bounty hunter days, she'd always gone after people who were undoubtedly guilty. As a member of Tarek's crew, she'd done her share of smuggling, intimidating and robbing people, but they weren't **kids**. They were adults that knew what they were getting into—

On the other hand, Tarek had told her that the boy was a Jedi trainee, and she was well aware of the corruption of the Jedi. Her father had been TR-3339, a clone trooper that went by "Trey" to his friends. Her father had survived the entire Clone Wars, then been injured in the freak explosion of a transport, and retired due to his age and blindness in his left eye from the incident. Then, he'd married a half-Theelin bar singer, and they'd unexpectedly had Roxi.

Her father had been a steady influence in her life, insisting that she learn to fight and stand up for herself. He and Roxi had watched a number of Jedi executions in the bar over the years. One of the first times, the little girl had broken into tears, and her father had taken her aside.

_Don't feel sorry for them. The Jedi were traitors to the Republic. They had us all fooled, but the Emperor knew the whole time. When we knew what disloyal trash they really were, we took them down. Marched into the Jedi temple and ended them. Good soldiers follow orders, Starshine. Remember that, and don't believe any of the lies about the Jedi._

She could still hear his voice and see his close-cropped beard of grey hair. She could still remember asking about the lightsaber burn on his arm. It had been from the Jedi who had tried to kill Trey and the rest of his men.

Dad wouldn't be proud if he could see what she had become. She slapped the pad to open her door, then stalked to her storage lockers and pulled out a bottle of spice whiskey. She laid back on her bed and turned the bottle up.

She'd been wanting to go to the Academy and become a soldier like her father. Those plans were dashed when she was turned down. No reason given, just turned down, although she suspected it was because she was part Theelin. The Empire was known to be a bit xenophobic, so she'd chalked it up to that. Her father had taught her strategy and tactics and how to shoot. If the Empire wouldn't take her, she decided to sell her talents to the person willing to pay the most. And right now, that person was Tarek.

She didn't agree with his decision to kidnap this kid, but she'd gone along with it because the kid was being brainwashed by a Jedi. It was best to break this boy out of their grip before he could become just as tainted with evil. But that was before she'd seen the depths of Tarek's own evil.

What had thrown her into a tornado of doubt was those two sleemos he'd hired to nab the kid in the first place. After they'd run like rabbits, the crew spent a few weeks tracking the two men down, just for Tarek to cut them into bits. It had been a lesson to the rest of them. Loyalty or death.

She took another swig of whiskey, grimacing at its smoky burn. There was a knock at the door and she got up to answer it.

Bosh stood there, holding the limp child in his arms.

"What the frack?" She asked, irritated. Threads of worry wound their way around her heart.

"Look. Uh…he's out. Like OUT." Bosh muttered. "Maybe you were right…"

"Moron." She reached over with concern to feel for the kid's pulse. It was slow, but strong and steady. "Put him on the bed," she said. Amazingly, it was the first time since she had known him that the backrocket binary bishwag had done what she said. He must be scared as hell, she thought. "When I think he's stable, I'll take him back. Maybe next time, you'll frackin' listen to me. Or not. If Tarek finds out you fracked it up, you won't get the chance to do it again."

Bosh put the kid on her bed and left without another word. She watched him with her lips pursed. He owed her one, and that was good. She liked to keep them owing her one. She had a bad feeling she might have to collect one day.

She turned as the little boy muttered in his sleep. "Momma…"

She winced as she remembered again that they'd stolen this kid from his family. "Sleep it off, kid," she said gently as she pulled a blanket over him. A few more swallows of whiskey didn't help her qualms of conscience. She sat and watched him for a long time, until she fell into a light doze.

When she awoke, she sat straight up, and realized the boy was staring at her with woozy eyes.

"Feeling better, kid?"

The boy slowly nodded, pushing himself up. "Where-? Where's Sabine?" He said softly, looking around.

"She's okay. I'll take you back. Think you can walk?"

He swayed back and forth as he sat on the bed, blinking at her. That answered her question pretty well; he was awake but still under the influence. "I got you." She reached down and scooped the boy into her arms, then left her room and carried him back towards the brig. "Look, kid. Just do what he tells you to do. It's easier that way."

He blinked at her. "I don't think I can."

"Do you have a deathwish or something?" she asked.

"There is no death. There is the Force," he murmured. She said nothing in reply, but she looked at him strangely. If this was any other kid, he'd probably be screaming in fear. Tarek made her want to scream in fear pretty damn regularly. This kid had courage.

"I hope you're right," she muttered, coming at last to the brig.

Sabine Bridger was standing at the length of the chain. She saw the child in Roxi's arms and clenched her fists.

"What did you do to him?" she growled, her anger almost palpable.

" **I** didn't do anything to him. Back up, against the wall, and I'll give him back to you." Roxi ordered. "Or I can put him somewhere else and you won't see him again."

Sabine backed up against the wall, not turning her back on the bounty hunter. Roxi laid the boy on the pallet and stepped back as Sabine knelt down.

"He's been drugged," Sabine murmured, tucking one of the blankets around him as well as she could with the binders on. If Roxi hadn't noticed how protective the woman was of this child before, she did now. In some strange way, it reminded her of her father.

"Those morons gave him an extra strong dosage of the Force suppressor, but he'll be okay." Roxi said, rolling her eyes. She watched Sabine brush the child's hair back from his face tenderly and, all of a sudden, she felt worse. As she turned, she heard the kid's sleepy voice.

"Sabine…I wanna go home." There were tears in his voice and Roxi's hands shook as she keyed the lock.

"I know, Spectre Seven. I'm sorry. You just have to be brave." Sabine replied.

Roxi turned before she left and saw Sabine holding the boy in her arms. Before Sabine could say anything to her, the Theelin turned and was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're still out there reading! You guys are about caught up to where this story is right now (Chapter 15). Then updates will come slower, because I'm in the progress of finishing this story. People have been interested in an idea of a series...like checking in on Caleb when he's 14 or 15 and then maybe again in his late 20's. Anyone up for reading something like that? :)
> 
> As always, I'd love to hear from you guys. :)


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Hondo Ohnaka had one good piece of information. He was familiar with the footage of the giant.

"His name's Bosh Jendul. Hondo said he'd seen him in death matches in the fighting pits of Bendeluum. About three years ago." Ezra relayed. He was standing in the common room, leaning against the side of the Dejarik booth, arms crossed over his chest in a stance that was heartbreakingly reminiscent of Kanan. Hera tried to put it out of her mind.

"Bendeluum?" Hera smirked over her caf. "That DOES seem like Hondo's type of place." It was one of the wilder world, with plenty of gangs-an active underworld.

"Yeah, he used to bet on the fights there. Saw Jendul fight a couple of times. He was a good fighter, but the fights were fixed. Hondo said he saw the guy's dead 'opponents' walking around after the match."

"I'll see if we have any additional information on file." Kallus said, tapping away on his datapad.

They were on course to Enarc, so it would be twelve hours before they reached the planet. Ezra went to the kitchen for caf. He was tired, but couldn't sleep. He'd fallen into a light doze earlier, after he'd left a message for Hondo, but there was no rest to be found—he'd dreamed of Sabine and Caleb. In his dream she was standing in Caleb's room, holding Kanan's saber in front of her. Caleb was behind her. She was facing some great evil, and when he turned, he was in the pyramid on Malachor. He heard Kanan's voice say "Trust the Force, Ezra." He'd woken with a cry that had caused Hera to come in and check on him.

As he poured the strong black caf into his mug, his hand shook. He set the carafe down and wrapped both hands around the cup and took a sip. _Pull yourself together Bridger,_ he told himself…reaching for his center. Once more, the emptiness of the Force bond with Caleb unnerved him. And Sabine. If he lost her…the mere thought jolted him out of his connection with the Force.

There was a soft touch on his shoulder and he saw Zeb's hand.

"You holdin' together?" Zeb asked, pouring his own cup.

He nodded, turning to rest against the counter. "Zeb. I could ask you the same question. You should rest."

"Yeah. I might catch a few z's in a bit."

"You ca…an't keep going without any rest," he said haltingly, tilting his head as if he'd heard something.

Zeb noticed the pale cast of Ezra's face. "You need to rest yourself, kit."

"I'll try to m..med…medita..." Suddenly, there was a brilliant fluorescent flare along his bond with Caleb. His eyes rolled back and his cup fell from his nerveless hands and smashed on the floor, spilling hot caf everywhere.

Waves of terror overcame him, and he was gasping for breath, struggling to regain control. The physical world retreated and there was only the Force and their bond. Another loud mental cry that was almost painful in its intensity. Caleb's fear beat at him like stormy waves on a shore. He tried to send back a feeling of peace and reassurance, but it wasn't working. He tried to sense more, but as soon as he did, Caleb's bond with him melted into nothingness.

And he opened his eyes to find that he was being laid gently on the floor by Zeb. The Lasat must have caught him when he went down.

Hera looked distressed, he thought disconnectedly as he stared up at her and Kallus. They were talking but he couldn't hear them. He could feel Caleb's consciousness sputtering back into life again along their bond; it was as if squawks of static were interrupting their connection. Then, his Padawan's Force signature melted away again like before, and Ezra could hear the real world again. The binders of fear tightened around his chest began to loosen so that he could breathe.

"His lips are turning blue. I'm getting the medkit!" Hera went to get up, but Ezra's hand caught hers and stopped her.

"No. I'm okay." He took several deep breaths and sat up slowly as she eyed him suspiciously. After a few moments, his color began to improve. "It was Caleb. He reached out over our bond. He's terrified." Ezra put a hand to his head, where the beginning of a massive headache was starting.

"Can you track him?"

Ezra shook his head. "He's gone. It is…as if a door has been closed between us."

"Could be a Force suppressor. It was, uh, Imperial SOP for dealing with Force sensitives," Kallus whispered apologetically.

Hera looked at him with sympathy, not wanting him to blame himself. She placed a hand on his arm. "At least we know he's alive." Turning back to Ezra, she reached out for his shoulder. "I want you and Zeb to get some rest. Stay in Zeb's room so he can keep an eye on you."

"But…" Ezra began.

"No arguments." Her "General Syndulla" voice let both of them know it was not up for discussion. She gestured toward Zeb's room. "Go on."

They both did as she ordered.

"Well, I see you haven't lost your touch, General." Kallus said.

"Yeah. Whatever works, you know." She smirked, then began to pick up pieces of the broken cup. It was made of a durable plastic, and either it had hit just right or Ezra had broken it unconsciously.

"Let me." Kallus knelt and took the broken cup from her hands, picking up the shards.

Hera was too tired to argue. "Thanks." She murmured, going for a sponge to mop up the caf.

Together she and Kallus cleaned up the mess, then returned to the table.

"How's he doing?" She knew the question's subject and what Kallus was referring to. As one of the extended family of the _Ghost's_ crew members, he'd been aware of Ezra's struggles since Hoth.

Hera shook her head and shrugged. "I'm not sure. Sabine…well, she's always been a stabilizing factor on him since…since Kanan died. With her being gone…" She shook her head. "I think he's still grieving for his master."

"And, what about you?"

She met Kallus's warm brown eyes, and he could see the current of strength running in the woman. This unbelievable strength was how she'd been able to carry the burdens of losing her partner, having a child, keeping her family together, nurturing new pilots…and fighting a war at the same time. Perhaps Ezra, Sabine and Zeb saw her show weakness, but the agent realized he'd never seen it, and probably never would.

"I have to be strong. For them," she said simply. "There's not another choice."

"Well, you don't have to be strong alone." Kallus murmured, laying a hand on her arm. "You have me."

"Thank you, Alexsandr," she replied softly.

* * *

When Caleb woke up and their captors brought a late supper, Sabine and Caleb talked about the what had happened when he'd met with the Inquisitor. Bosh brought the food, a sort of nerf and vegetables combination that was actually edible and better than the ration bars.

Again, the giant seemed to be interested in watching Sabine, which made her stomach turn. He didn't stay long; however, this time he gave them the tray and left pretty quickly after peering closely at Caleb and asking Sabine how he was.

"Cale…wanna talk about happened this afternoon?" Sabine asked gently. The child had been woozy most of the day and had slept curled up against her. She hadn't pressed him for details.

"The man…Tarek asked me questions…" He pushed the food around on his plate with the plastic spoon their captors had allowed each of them to have.

"Something else is bothering you." She placed a hand on his arm. He set his plate aside, looking decidedly unhappy.

"He…he showed me my dad. He was a kid…with his Jedi Master…they were fighting soldiers in white… and Kanan ran away. Tarek said he was a coward. But…he wasn't, right?" Caleb's face was so full of fragile hope that she immediately put her plate to the side and wrapped her arms around him as best as she could. "You listen to me, Spectre Seven. Your father was absolutely NOT a coward. I don't care what that karking sleemo said. Your father was one of the bravest people I've ever known. You understand?" She ducked her head so she could see his eyes. He wiped at his face with his bound hands as he nodded.

"You are just as good and brave as your father was…and don't you let that skanah make you think differently. He's…he's an Inquisitor, Caleb. He wants to use lies…and the dark side to cause you to doubt yourself and Ezra. He wants to shake your faith in the Force…so you'll fall to the dark side. Don't you let him."

Caleb nodded, still sniffling to himself.

Sabine continued to hold him close for long moments. "I love you, Cale. Your mom, Ezra and Zeb love you. You know that. Be strong. They're coming for us."

 _I've got to get us the hell out of here_ , she thought. At first, she'd been afraid to try anything, not wanting to get them both killed trying to escape. She'd thought that Ezra would find them. But if this fracking bastard was trying to sway Caleb to the dark side…the situation was direr than they'd thought. "I'm so proud of you, Caleb."

"Love you too, 'Bine." It was the first way he'd ever said her name, when he was a toddler, and she hadn't heard it for a few years, but here he was now, murmuring it into her shirt. He was scared, so she soothed him by rubbing his back with her bound hands. His lekku twisted with worry and there was a frown on his forehead, but the longer she held him, the more he relaxed against her.

"I'm going to get us out of here. Just give me some time." Sabine promised, holding him close.

* * *

The next day, Roxi had hoped that the Inquisitor would give the kid a break, but that afternoon, Roxi was called to Tarek's meditation chamber and told to go get Caleb Jarrus.

It hadn't gone well. The kid had begun to cry, clutching the Mandalorian tightly. She wouldn't let him go either. Only when Dax shoved a blaster under her chin did the child let go and the Mandalorian stand down.

Bridger cursed them as they'd left, tears rolling down her face. In fact, as they walked with the kid away from the homemade brig, they heard her still screaming, a tide of Huttese so vile that Roxi hadn't heard the like before, despite having been a bounty hunter as well as raised by a man who was a soldier his whole life.

"Kriffing hells, you'd think this was her own kid!" Dax swore.

She didn't trust herself to respond as she kept a tight hand on the boy's shoulder. He was sniffling but had his head up. _Brave frackin' kid_ , she thought as her heart squeezed painfully. "Look. Just do what he says and you'll be okay," she told the boy, wanting to calm him.

He looked up at her with those peculiar blue-green eyes of his, but said nothing.

"Look." Dax said nervously, hesitating. "I helped you back there, but you can take him in, right? I don't really…um…well, he **likes** you…"

"…because I'm not a moron. I got it." Roxi answered. She waved him off, irritated.

Dax left. Roxi was left walking down the hallway with the kid. He wasn't due for a dose of Force suppressor for at least an hour, but she'd remind Tarek…just in case. She'd seen the kind of chaos Tarek could cause, and didn't know if Force kids were stronger or weaker than older Force users. The whole thing had kind of always freaked her out. Especially after she'd begun working for Tarek.

But this kid was sweet and gentle. She'd watched the video feed of the cell and saw how the Mandalorian and the child comforted each other. She figured if Tarek was an Imperial Force user, and if he was as bad as he was, that a Jedi kid would be twice as bad. But it wasn't true.

By the time they reached Tarek's doorway, the kid was trembling. This whole thing made her feel sick. She took a deep breath before she hit the door panel and it slid open.

Tarek was over by the terminal, having a conversation with a small hologram of a Rodian. From what Roxi knew, there were three or four crime gangs that Tarek presided over, but she wouldn't have been surprised to find out there were more that she wasn't privy to. Tarek was sneaky like that. His teams smuggled spice, as well as other things from one side of the galaxy to the other. Roxi was on the central team; one of their specialties was smuggling people out of the Inner and Mid Rim, for a price. The Rodian, named Jenk Lenden, usually oversaw the appropriation of spice shipments from other gangs. Before, Tarek had been a little more lenient with the spice smuggler, but lately he'd been demanding that they hit bigger and bigger shipments, which the Rodian was loath to do.

He held up a hand for them to wait. Roxi remained with her hand on the child's shoulder.

"I do not care to hear your excuses. If you do not secure the shipment in 24 hours, I will have to find new ways to motivate you." Tarek raised an eyebrow.

"B-but…t-the Hutts…Blaatu the Hutt has doubled security. We cannot possibly… "

Tarek cut transmission. Then he commed someone else. This time a Weequay appeared on the holo emitter. "Jeeno," Tarek said, addressing his second in command.

"Sir."

"Relieve Lenden of his duties."

"Sir?"

"The Rodian's enthusiasm for our mission has waned considerably. I will expect you to take over the operation and handle it with more zeal. Do I need to be any clearer than that?" He asked, a warning tone to his voice.

"No, sir! It will be done."

Very well, do not disappoint me."

"No, sir."

Tarek cut transmission. He remained staring at something on the screen for a moment, then he stood up.

"Shan. You may bring the boy in further," he said.

She stepped in, guiding the kid in front of her. "Inquisitor. I just wanted to remind you he's due for medication again at 1300."

Tarek lifted his eyes to her for a moment before glancing back to the screen. "I see he is well, after the problem yesterday?"

"Sir?"

"The problem with the dosage?"

She felt a cold knot in the pit of her stomach. How had he known? "Bosh made a foolish mistake, but I monitored the situation to make sure the boy was safe."

Tarek nodded. "He has been corrected and should not make that mistake again."

"Of course." She nodded, wondering if Bosh was now missing some appendages.

"I will call you when I'm done with him. Oh, and I may have to send you to Team 2 if the Weequay can't take care of business there."

She nodded, let her hand slip from the child and turned to leave. The knot in her stomach had not moved and her legs felt like heavy stones. As she got further and further away, she felt worse and worse, knowing she'd left the little one there alone.

What was wrong with her? The kid was a Jedi's kid. Even though her dad would disapprove, she couldn't help feeling sorry for him. Tarek would tear her limb from limb if he knew her feelings. And she knew he could tell what one was thinking or feeling if he set his mind to it. But he was too focused on the Twi'lek kid to bother reading her, or he was too sure that she was loyal.

She needed a drink. No she needed several drinks, in quick succession. She wanted to wipe away the whole memory of this shitty job and take off for Wild Space where the Inquisitors and Jedi just didn't exist.

* * *

The darksider looked over Caleb hungrily, and the boy shivered.

"W-what d-do you want from me?"

"Sit." Tarek gestured to the floor as he made his way over. Caleb remained standing, not wanting to cooperate in any way.

Tarek smirked as he sat. He casually moved his hand and the child was forced to his knees. Caleb felt frozen, like his insides had turned to ice. The thought of meditating with the Inquisitor, like he usually did with Ezra, made him feel sick to his stomach.

"The Force has two sides. The Jedi were devoted to the light, and the Sith used the dark to gain power."

"The Sith are dead." Caleb said softly. The air in the room was rapidly turning as icy as he felt. He could see his breath in the air.

"But there are others that also follow the dark side." Tarek said. His eyes seemed to be glowing like bright gold in the light, and Caleb could feel the dark side hammering at him, trying to force its way in.

"W-what d-do you want f-from me?" Caleb asked again, in a very small voice. He wanted to get up, run, scream…anything. He tried to feel for the light side of the Force, but it slipped through his fingers.

Tarek leaned in and grabbed Caleb's upper arm, holding him in place. He put a hand up, spreading his fingers out over the child's face. "What do I want? I want to know what you're afraid of, Caleb Jarrus, child of Caleb Dume. Fear is one of the paths to the dark side."

"No!" Caleb tried to scramble back, but he found he couldn't move any of his limbs. The best he could do was to lean his head back a little. But it did no good. The dark side swirled around him, seeping inside of his head and sniffing out the fear, like the creature he'd dreamed about with the sharp white teeth and endless hunger. He moaned as the dark found his fear and lifted it to the surface.

"Oh yes…" The ex-Inquisitor crooned. "Let me have your fear…"

Caleb began to cry, icy tears streaming down his face. Shudders wracked his small body as the information was pulled out of his head.

Tarek's smile was a rictus of evil. "Your family is your greatest weakness. You're afraid that they will be hurt…or die and leave you alone." The Inquisitor leaned in. "Perhaps I should kill them all. Starting with Sabine Bridger…" His voice was like the hum of a Loth-bee as he forced mental images of Sabine's dead, battered body into Caleb's mind.

The Padawan began to scream, struggling in the grip of the dark side like a captured bird in a vulture's talons. Tarek let him go, watching with pleasure how Caleb, out of his mind with fear, backed away and huddled in a little ball. The boy was as terrified as he'd ever been in his young life. Due to creating that fear, the Inquisitor felt a surge of power from the dark side. The child's fear and grief were strong.

"You don't know I've already killed one of your little family, don't you? My men shot down the Lasat." He flooded Caleb's mind with images of Zeb's bloody, injured body. "You cared for him too, did you? Truly tragic. His death accomplished nothing, but you could save Sabine Bridger if you join me…and accept the dark side."

A rumble went around the room, and everything in it shook. A datapad on a table near them cracked, then exploded into shards. Several of the glow panels above them exploded as well. Tarek stood up, smiling as he realized a few things simultaneously. One, the force suppressor was obviously beginning to wear off, and two, the child was drawing on the power of his fear. Three, the child was strong with the Force.

It was a good first step. He leaned down and smoothed the child's hair and the boy moaned in fear. He laid his hand on top of Caleb's head, almost like some sort of dark blessing. "You are strong with the Force, Caleb Jarrus. Once you learn the power of the dark side, you will be a formidable weapon." He released the sobbing child, and walked back to the computer, using his wrist comm. "Shan. Come and collect the child…He's had enough for today."

"Yes, sir." She replied.

* * *

"Be careful with him, Dax." Roxi growled.

The boy, Caleb, was unable to walk. They had found him in a huddled mass on the floor, unable to stand or communicate at all, so she'd had to call the pilot. Bosh would probably send the kid into hysterics, so she brought Dax, who was a lot less threatening.

"I got him." Dax murmured. He'd grabbed the kid by his shirt and hauled him up on his feet. Then he'd plopped him over his shoulder like a sack of flour. When they reached the cell, Roxi swiped the door and let them in.

"What the frack did you do to him?" the Bridger woman was standing up, by the wall watching with murder in her eyes.

"Stay back, schutta." Roxi narrowed her eyes as she drew her blaster and waved it. "Over there. I can make that neck chain a lot shorter, if you wanna try me."

The Mandalorian moved to the side, watching them lay Caleb back down on the mattress. "Okay. I got it from here." Roxi said, glancing to Dax, as she rummaged in her pocket for a hypo.

"Good. I got diagnostics to run." The Inquisitor's ship _Ebony Outrider_ was a fast ship, but only because Dax kept it that way. He was constantly upgrading the ship's equipment because he was a gearhead who really enjoyed that type of work, and if the ship were to fail in any way, Dax knew he would answer to the Inquisitor. Also, Dax had heard about what happened to Bosh and he wanted no part of anything to do with this kid.

The boy was still shuddering as Roxi glanced at him. Caleb was trembling in fear, tears streaked his face and all she wanted to do was wrap him in a blanket and take him far away from here, not jack him up on Force inhibitor and deliver him to the Inquisitor like a meal to be eaten. She couldn't do it anymore. Even if he was a Jedi's kid.

She had loaded the hypo with a weak sedative when she'd seen what condition the kid was in. She gave him the shot, just in case the Inquisitor was watching the surveillance feed. The sedative would make the child appear to have had the medication, and it would calm him. As she stood up and stepped back, she watched as the kid fell into a light sleep, and his body relaxed so that he didn't look like a knot of fear lying on the bed.

"Come on." Roxi motioned with her blaster and threw down binders for Sabine. "Put the binders back around his wrists and feet."

Sabine slowly came and performed the tasks.

"Just a sedative, not the other." Roxi whispered.

The woman's brown eyes shot up to her own, a silent question in her eyes.

"Don't. Not until late tonight," Roxi breathed.

At that moment, Caleb shot straight up. "Momma?" He looked around with bleary eyes.

Caleb saw Sabine, then the woman in front of him, and his lekku wilted. He latched on to the Mandalorian and buried his face against her.

"I'm sorry, little cub." Sabine pulled the boy up into the locked circle of her arms.

"I'll be back with something to eat." The Theelin said in an angry, much louder voice. "See if you can get the crybaby to calm down. His sobbing is giving everyone a headache." Sabine saw, however, that the contempt didn't reach the Theelin's eyes. Roxi let out a disgusted noise and headed for the door.

Sabine turned her face to Caleb. "What happened, little one? Caleb…" She murmured into his hair as she held him.

He shook his head, shuddering as he clung to her. Sabine bit her bottom lip as she lifted her eyes to the door where the Theelin had just left. Was this a trap? Or was this for real?

Time would tell, but Sabine figured they had nothing to lose.

* * *


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, contains a scene with torture, but it's no worse than Darth Vader choking out someone who displeased him. (of course, Vader's not there...but if he was, he'd implement his "total quality management" program. lol!) Also has torture with electricity, like in Rebels.

  Chapter 15

"Caleb. Sweetheart." Sabine shook the child gently. It had grown late and when Sabine sensed it was midnight, she woke Hera's son. Maybe enough of the medicine had cleared his system, and he would be able to free them.

Caleb sat up, looking around in the dim lighting. "Sa-Sabine?" He looked startled, his eyes glazed with sleep, and her heart hurt for how much he'd gone through.

"How do you feel?" She whispered.

"O-okay…" He murmured back, rubbing one eye with a fist. "Is…is everything okay?"

"Yes. In fact, I wanted to ask. Can…can you try unlocking our binders? We're getting out of here, Spectre Seven."

Caleb nodded. Sabine watched as he squeezed his eyes shut. Nothing happened, but he opened his eyes and checked. His lekku drooped at his failure.

"No, no, no. Don't give up." Sabine said, feeling fear rise in her chest like a trapped bird. She reached out and smoothed back Caleb's hair. "It's okay, just concentrate…like Ezra taught you. You can do this."

As he was coming completely awake, Caleb realized that he could feel the Force again. Having his Force-sense back was like suddenly seeing in color. Caleb could feel Sabine's love for him, shining like a lamp through her touch. He looked at the lock, and imagined the mechanism opening. It had to come open. He tried again, clenching his fists and leaving bruised half-moon imprints in his palm that would be there for a week.

Just when he felt he could put no more effort into it, the binders fell off Sabine's hands. As well as the ones on her legs and around her neck. Her eyes went wide. Caleb's binders had fallen loose too. He'd unlocked every single one.

"Caleb!" Sabine whispered. "You did it. You did it." Her arms enfolded him in a huge hug, and she placed kisses on his head as she got to her feet. Roxi had slipped a vibroblade to her when she'd brought them dinner. The Theelin had leaned over on the pretense of checking Sabine's neck chain and slipped it from her sleeve into Sabine's belt. She had tugged Sabine's shirt over it, to cover it.

"It's no blaster, but it's something," the Theelin had murmured to her.

Sabine had been too stunned to reply.

She was thankful as drew it from her waistband and placed a gentle hand on Caleb's shoulder. "Okay. Can you do it with the door, too?"

Caleb went to the door and laid his hand on the lock mechanism. He took a deep, steadying breath. Okay. All he had to do was the same. Push the little metal bits in the lock to make them line up right. On the third push, they heard the tiny _snick_ that signified that the door was unlocked.

Sabine took Cale's hand and led him behind her. "Stay behind me no matter what, okay?" She asked, readying herself for a fight. She pulled it open just a crack and could see a Gamorrean soldier standing right outside the door.

She readied her blade, snatched the door open quickly and attacked.

* * *

"Ezra." Hera came over to where Ezra stood in the cockpit, looking out at the glow of the hyperspace lines. The blue radiance of the light made his hair look not black, but blue. "You're supposed to be sleeping."

"Hera, it's not Enarc. They're not on Enarc." He had felt uncertainty before, but now he knew for sure. A nagging feeling had kept him from falling asleep. He'd tossed and turned, unable to close his eyes, even with Zeb's rhythmic snoring to lull him into slumber.

In a strange daze, he'd felt a pull to the cockpit. It was as if he'd heard his name called from very far away. "Not Enarc…" he mumbled again. _If not Enarc,_ he thought _, then which one? Ylix or Vulpter? They had already wasted too much time._

"Wait. The Force told you that?" Hera's eyes widened as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

Ezra nodded, his gaze distant.

Hera slipped into a seat and began keying the ship's controls, so that the _Ghost_ dropped out of hyperspace immediately. "Okay, Ezra. Where are they, love?"

The Jedi didn't reply immediately. He bowed his head and closed his eyes and remained that way for long moments. Kallus entered the bridge, a confused look on his features, but Hera held up a hand and shook her head to silence any comments.

Hera studied Ezra's face with concern. The shadows under his eyes worried her. A tremor ran around the room, shaking the datapad and comm that were on the control panel, and Hera was reminded how fatigued and overexerted he really was.

Ezra let out a pained noise, then wavered and had to clutch a seat to keep from falling to his knees. The planet was within his reach, and he struggled for it to reveal itself to him. He closed his eyes and sensed a greyness. A planet with rings. Kallus reached out for Ezra, sensing a repeat of earlier, but Ezra stayed standing, opening his dark blue eyes and fixing on Hera's. "Vulpter. They're on Vulpter," he said, his voice faint with exertion.

"Chop! Plot a course to Vulpter." Hera stood up and took Ezra's arm. Kallus had the other. "You're going to rest for real this time," she ordered. "Even if I have to have Zeb hold you down."

Ezra nodded, too tired to argue.

* * *

Sabine felt like she was floating in a sea of warmth. She knew that something was wrong.  She knew the escape hadn't gone well, but she couldn't remember trance they were supposed to take.  he had to "wake up now" but she couldn't. The pain was far, far away, and it couldn't break through the clinging grey warmth that was in her mind, so she embraced it, allowing it to surround and penetrate her thoughts. She drifted further down, down into its grip until she heard a voice.

"Tell me about Ezra." The voice was male, but she couldn't place it. It was soft and soothing, the way a trusted friend might ask about your significant other.

She began to answer in slurred tones. "What do you want…to know? He's my husband…"

"But you worry about him," the voice said, just a soft touch of curiosity in it. "Tell me why…"

She frowned, trying to move away from the voice. "He's um…No, wait…"

"You worry he's losing his mind, don't you?"

She shook her head, but then whispered, "Maybe."

She felt a hand on her chin and someone lifted her head up. With a momentous effort, her eyes fluttered open and she saw the blond-haired man…their captor. She remembered now. They'd been caught near the back entrance to the complex they were being held in. Caleb had been stunned first, falling heavily into a piece of machinery with sharp and pointed edges. He'd hit his head hard. She had stooped to try and gather him up in her arms when she'd been hit from the side by something heavy.

They were in what looked like a workshop. The floor was bare duracrete, and there was a long table against one of the metal walls. Her eyes rolled back to the man in front of her with the golden eyes… and she felt a jolt of fear. He was an Inquisitor just like the Grand Inquisitor and Seventh Sister had been. He was a monster trying to hurt Caleb, her sweet little tooka and turn him into one of them. "I won't let you hurt him. He's just a kid…" she mumbled.

"Is that what you're most afraid of?" He leaned in, smiling. "Oh…it is…I can feel it."

"The only thing I'm afraid of is that I might not be the one to kill you." As her anger rose and fell, she could feel her mind clouding up again with fear. This had to be some sort of dark side force power…she moaned as fear began weaving into her. Glancing to the side, saw Caleb on a bench nearby, lying face-down, one arm trailing on the floor. His hair obscured his face, but she could see that one drooping lek was covered with blood. He was NOT moving.

"How can you do this?" she cried, her eyes still riveted to Caleb. "He's just a child…"

"A child who needs correcting." Tarek said. He watched with pleasure as tears finally began to roll down Sabine's face. Her weakness was the same as her Jedi's: family, love, and honor. Tarek sneered. He would have to obliterate those things before his apprentice would truly belong to him. If her Jedi was coming, he would be dealt with similarly. With his family dead, the child would turn to the dark to fill the void.

The darksider walked to a table on the right, and Sabine shifted her attention there. He was filling a spray hypo. "Before an apprentice can appreciate it, he must be shown the power of the dark side. Fortunately, the means of such coercion lie within my grasp." He turned and walked to her, studying her as if she were a scientist studying an experiment. "He cares for you, which is a fatal weakness."

Sabine groaned as she pulled against her restraints. She only succeeded in abrading her wrists, but the binders did not let go or become looser with her struggles.

"Let's begin," he murmured, pressing the spray hypo against her neck hard enough to leave a bruise.

When the liquid heat of the injection traveled through her veins, she began to scream.

* * *

"He's still sleeping?" Hera asked Zeb as he exited his quarters.

"Yeah. Bad dream earlier, but I got him past it." Zeb had sat beside the bed, intending to physically keep Ezra in bed if he needed to, but the Jedi had complied with Hera's edict, which showed how exhausted he really was. When Ezra had begun to show signs of distress, the big Lasat had laid a paw on the kit's head and smoothed his hair, like he'd done when Ezra was younger. He was happy to know it still worked to ease Ezra's nightmares.

Hera nodded. Zeb walked over to the caf machine and poured a cup. They were all running on caf and nerves, Hera thought.

"As you probably know, Vulpter is where many factories in the rim are located. It's heavily populated." Kallus raised an eyebrow. "Unless Ezra can locate them, it could be quite a search. I will put the word out among my people planetside, but it will take time to get something back."

"How many operatives do you have?" Hera asked.

"Four." Kallus said, consulting his datapad.

"Could we employ them for the extraction?" Hera asked.

"Since this concerns an Inquisitor, I believe they would probably insist to be involved. I will contact them."

Zeb patted Kallus on the shoulder as he walked by. "Thanks, Alexsandr. I'll let you both know when Ezra wakes."

"Yeah, because I need to take another look and rebandage your wounds." Hera said, her tone saying she wouldn't accept no for an answer.

"Yes, ma'am." Zeb grinned.

* * *

Caleb woke to Sabine's screams. The Inquisitor was hurting her. She was tied down to a table, and two metal arms were shocking her with electricity. Tarek was watching her scream with a hungry look on his face that made Caleb shiver. When he looked at the Force, Caleb could sense the pain radiating off of Sabine, and he could sense the Inquisitor feeding off of it.

He tried to run to her, but the binder on his ankle stopped him. He reached down and scrabbled at it, but it would not loosen.

"Leave her alone!" He screamed as loud as he could, fists clenched.

And Tarek was there, in his face, talking in a low, dangerous tone. "If you try to escape again, boy, I will kill her. All I have to do is this." He held up two fingers and pinched them together.

Sabine began to strangle, cough and choke. Caleb saw her body twisting in the binders that held her to the table. There was the rasping noise of her attempts to breathe, and the noise made him panic.

"STOP!" Caleb screamed with everything in him; throwing out both hands in a Force push. Hatred of the Inquisitor, panic over what he was doing to Sabine and the need to save her overwhelmed him.

The Inquisitor was pushed back a few steps; in surprise, he let go of the Mandalorian. She gasped for breath, a harsh moan. The Inquisitor smirked, "That was weak, boy."

"Please…please don't hurt her." Caleb begged, in tears. The Force was slippery and hard to grasp. "I'll do what you want. Just…"

"Use your hate to stop me." Tarek said. "You can only save her if you use the dark side."

"Don't." Sabine's voice from the table was hard to hear. "Caleb…please…don't."

"Shut up." Tarek held out a hand toward her and her head was thrown back against the table with a loud noise. Again, she let out a rasping cry.

There was an unnatural coldness forming in the room. Caleb felt it pulsing at him, as if alive, as if the cold darkness had been trying to obliterate all the light in the room. It had been an unnatural reptilian slithering inside his head. White teeth, with a hunger that would never be sated. Caleb began to panic, and he looked at Sabine desperately; she had been struggling for air. He knew he couldn't let her die…no matter what he had to do.

The dark power of the Force built around them, like a black wave of water…then it crashed on them. "I hate you! Leave her alone!" There had been a huge exploding noise as the duracrete under the Inquisitor's feet exploded. Bits had flown across the room, scoring the long table along one wall and cutting the Inquisitor's cheek under his right eye.

His Force-enhanced senses allowed him to leap back to avoid the worst of the blast. Startled, he let go of his Force-grip on Sabine's throat. "Well, well. There's a wolf in this little cub after all. You have some of the dark side inside you." He wiped the blood from his cheek and smirked.

Caleb recoiled from the grin on the Inquisitor's face. He felt queasy and cold, his teeth chattering. He staggered to the bench and held on, as if it could keep him from falling into the vortex of fear. "No…"

"Study your feelings. You know it to be true. Your 'Master' will not even want you back when he finds you have been tainted with the dark. Perhaps he knows already and that is why he hasn't come for you."

Caleb sobbed, sinking down to the ground and huddling into himself.

"Just remember, if you try to escape, little cub, I will kill her. I have your other conspirator on another interrogation table. She will not live long."

Then the Inquisitor held out a hand and kept Caleb motionless by using the Force as he approached with a hypospray. He shoved the injector into the boy's neck, as he continued to sob brokenly. "You have taken your first steps into the dark, boy. The rest will be an easy slide now."

Caleb was still kneeling on the floor. He felt woozy, and just **wrong** after using the power that had pooled around him like murky water. What had the Inquisitor meant, he'd stepped into the dark? Was he evil now? Like the Inquistiors? He was horrified. Ezra would hate him now. He wrapped his arms around himself as he rocked back and forth, hid his face and cried.

"Caleb?" A quiet rasp from across the room. He could see Sabine's face looking over to him; her brown eyes looked strange in the light, and there was a circle of bruises blooming around her neck.

"Y-yeah?"

She coughed, then he saw the gleam of her eyes again. They were brown, but the whites of the eyes had gone red. There were rapidly spreading dark smudges underneath as well. "You okay?"

He shook his head, his heart breaking.

"Stay strong, Cale."

"Th-the d-dark side…"

She shook her head. "Listen to me. Listen. Look in my eyes, Spectre Seven," she waited. "It's not your fault. He's twisting your thoughts and trying to shake you up. Don't let him do it. Ezra's coming for us."

_Then why hasn't he come yet_? A small voice said in the back of his mind. But he nodded silently, the Inquisitor's words gnawing at his center like hungry rats. "O…okay…" He whispered wiping at the tears that seemed like they wouldn't stop.

* * *

Tarek stalked into the room across the hallway. In an identical room, Roxi was strapped down on the interrogation table.

She looked at him through her feathery strands of blue hair. She'd awoken to Bosh strapping her down; her memory of what had happened was fuzzy.

"So. You're the traitor." Tarek said, his golden eyes gleaming.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Do you think your little effort makes you better than the rest of us?" Tarek asked.

"I think I realized too late who you are," she said simply. "You…and my father both said the Jedi were evil, but you're the evil one. "

"Do you think your effort absolves you?" Tarek clenched his fist and Roxi began to gasp for air. "Does it make you any less of a traitor?"

Roxi's eyes rolled back and forth, trying to find something, anything to save her. She jerked in her restraints, but she couldn't get away from him.

"I will kill you, when I decide how best to do it." He leaned forward while he was still strangling her and breathed his words into her ear.

She moaned.

"A death by lightsaber, perhaps? Death by an army of spiders that I call with the Force? No?" His face took on a ghoulish glee. "Rats? No, something else. I will think on it."

He let her go, just as she faded into unconsciousness.

* * *

Ezra opened his eyes and sat up, instantly awake.

Zeb, who had been dozing, woke at the sudden movement. "Ezra?"

"Caleb and Sabine." He whispered. "They're afraid…" His dream had been confused. Sabine was buried alive in his dream, unable to breathe as the dirt pressed in and in on her. Caleb was lost in the darkness of a cave. It was not the Loth-wolf caves, but other ones…dug out of smooth black rock that swallowed the light. His dreams were so real that he could still smell the earth and rock. He looked up at Zeb with a dazed expression.

"You okay?"

"Have to be, Zeb." Ezra blinked a couple of times and was able to finally focus on Zeb. "We're close. I can feel it." He got up off of the bed.

"Let's go then. I'm ready to kick this rancor." Zeb pounded one fist into the other as he stood up.

Ezra's reply was a tightening of his jaw as he reached for his holster and strapped it on. He hooked his lightsaber back on as well, knowing it was a much more likely weapon for the coming battle. He was worried for Sabine and Caleb and knew that he would do anything to get them free.

"Zeb." He caught at the Lasat's elbow. They locked eyes. "I'm not planning on…anything happening, but…if something does happen…I don't need to ask, do I? You'll get them safely away?"

"Karabast, Ezra…did you sense something?" The Lasat knew how Kanan had acted before he'd willingly walked away with the Loth-wolf to sacrifice himself for them. He'd been distant, with the same look in his eyes that Ezra had in his eyes right now. He'd taken a moment with each of them, conversations that on the surface seemed simple and innocuous, but later on were obviously the Jedi saying goodbye. Zeb never wanted to go through that again. "Like…Like Kanan? Because if you know something, you have to…"

Ezra shook his head and laid a hand on the Jedi's shoulder. "No, Zeb. I just…I need to know you'd take care of them if the worst happened. That way I can do…what might need to be done without hesitation. I need to be able to focus…"

Zeb suddenly embraced him tightly. "Ezra. Don't think twice. You know what I would do, brother."

Ezra nodded from within the circle of Zeb's arms as he returned the embrace. "Yeah…I do. Sorry, I just…" He sighed.

"I know." He finally released Ezra and clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on."

"Yeah, let's get this done." Ezra said grimly.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG-This chapter sucked to write. I have redone the "storming the complex" scene at least ten times. I literally will go crazy if I change it anymore. I hope you like it, and it would have gotten here sooner, but it just did NOT want to come out right. :( Perhaps the next chapter will be better. Spring break is soon so plenty of time to write there. Hope your springtime is going well. As always, I love to hear from you guys. You're awesome!

* * *

**Chapter 16**

The four humans under Kallus's command had taken one ship together up into orbit. The small freighter docked with the _Ghost_ over Vulpter and Hera greeted each of them as they entered her ship.

Two of the agents were female: a human named Valeria Roth and a dark purple Twi'lek named Chela Narvak.

Chela introduced herself and Hera inclined her head. "I am pleased to meet you, General Syndulla. It is an honor."

Hera nodded in reply, coming to take the woman's hand. "Thank you for helping me save my family." She extended her other hand to the other female agent. "You're..."

"Agent Roth, ma'am. We're at your disposal."

The other two agents were human males. The tall bearded man spoke up, "I'm Myreck Jex, ma'am," he said.

"We know of all you have done for the New Republic, General." The other, a dark-skinned man with long braided hair, nodded. "It's an honor."

Hera was already impressed with Kallus's agents, who all carried bags of equipment and were well-armed. "And your name?" She asked, taking his hand.

"Nash Malik, ma'am. I just want you to know we're going to find your boy. Access to the holonet? I need to start right away," he said.

"Chopper can show you."

Chopper raised a manipulator and pointed as he rolled over toward the terminal in the cockpit. The tech-head followed him.

The other three agents followed Hera into the common area where Kallus, Zeb and Ezra waited. Kallus was reading a data pad and Ezra was looking over his shoulder while Zeb checked his weapons and ammo. Hera saw the male agent elbow the Twi'lek. She heard "Bridger" and "Jedi" murmured between them, but all talking stopped when Ezra looked up.

"These are the members of Alexsandr's team." Hera said, introducing everyone. "Agents Jex, Roth and Narvak." She gestured to the two in front of her; "This is Ezra Bridger and Garazeb Orellios."

"Lieutenant Commander, sir." The bearded agent, Jex, was obviously was aware of who Ezra was. "I flew in the battle of Scarif, and I was in your patrol several times at Hoth."

Ezra nodded, holding out a hand. "It's just Ezra now," he murmured. They shook, and Ezra nodded at the other agents to acknowledge them.

"Sir," Roth began, addressing Kallus. "Nash is searching the holonet for security footage with the astromech."

"Very good. Let's get down to business." Kallus said, taking up a data pad of his own and throwing up the first holo they'd prepared. It was the Empire's file holo of Tarek. "The target is Lelan Tarek, a former Inquisitor apprentice. He and his 'associates' have kidnapped Sabine Wren and Caleb Jarrus." As he spoke, he showed his agents holos of Sabine and Caleb. "We have security footage and holos of some of the people on his crew."

Kallus tapped and footage of the Theelin was next up. "This is Roxi Shan. She was an Outer Rim bounty hunter before joining up with Tarek's crew. And this is Bosh Jendul."

"I know that guy," Jex said. "He drinks in a bar in an area called Goben. Or at least he used to. I spent a little while there on an op. Guy's a real close-mouthed son-of-a-bantha. He's violent and likes to fight."

Ezra put both hands on the table and leaned forward. "Can you point out the place for me?"

"In a heartbeat," Jex nodded.

Just then, the tech entered the room, followed by Chopper. "I have a program running, checking security computers on the planet for Sabine Bridger and the child. Your C1-10P has been very helpful, providing holos for the comparisons. He's quite a little droid."

Chopper chirped and whirred out that he liked the human tech unit and found him to be an acceptable meatbag who had the proper respect for artificial lifeforms, unlike some on the Ghost. No one missed the way that the droid pointed his manipulator toward Zeb.

Zeb crossed his arms over his chest and chuckled. "That's a real compliment, coming from Chopper."

"Chop, bring up a map of Goben." Ezra called, impatient to get started.

Chopper tapped into the holonet and found it. After a few directions from Jex, the little droid was able to focus in on a certain block. Jex pointed. "About here. Real kriffed up on the outside. You'll notice it. It's the only bar on the whole street."

"Got it," he murmured, then looked around the room. "I'll go check it out."

Jex spoke up, "I'll go with you…"

Ezra shook his head. "No. Only one will draw less attention. We can't afford to mess this up."

Hera didn't like it, but she went with it. "Ezra, take the Phantom. As much as I hate to be without it, we should pull the _Ghost_ back, and take the agent's ship down. We'll berth the agent's ship, as well as the Phantom, at the starport in Goben and wait for your call."

"That sounds like a good plan. They had to have seen the ship when they attacked. They'll be looking for it," Ezra murmured, thoughtfully.

Zeb and Kallus nodded as well. The Lasat laid a hand on Hera's shoulder as he got up to go to the helm. "I'll pull us back, Hera."

Kallus went back to discussing details with his team, while Ezra wandered to the cockpit door. He stared at the planet that they slowly began to withdraw from. He could plainly see the Orbital Advertisement Ring, a giant system of neon billboards that circled the planet. They blinked harshly against the dark, polluted atmosphere. Sabine and Caleb were down there in the darkness somewhere, Ezra thought. He tried to feel their presence, but he couldn't.

"Get anything?" Hera said, standing behind him.

Ezra shook his head. "This is a dark place. It's hard to see into."

"Well, find out what you can. We'll sweep the area with sensors and wait to hear from you. If you find something, don't go in alone. Wait for backup."

Ezra nodded. "I'll do my best." He headed to his quarters.

A few minutes later, he came out wearing a black hooded coat. It would hide the lightsaber and blaster on his hip, and the hood would provide the shadows he would need to keep from being detected by security cameras. If they were looking at security footage, then he was sure that Tarek would be as well. He turned to Kallus and Jex, who paused in their conversation. "I'll be in touch," he said.

"Look, it's a little rough down there." Jex said. "Maybe I…"

"I got this." Ezra said with a slight smile, thinking of his time on the streets. If there was one thing he knew about, it was the "bad side of town." "What you need to do is be ready. If I see him, we want to be able to move fast."

They all nodded in response, and Ezra moved to the ladder that would take him up to the Phantom. "See you planetside."

* * *

"A VCX-100 just showed up on sensor sweeps," Dax looked to Bosh worriedly.

The large brawler rubbed at the cut under his right eye, which was still swollen shut. The bacta was helping, but he was healing very slowly from Tarek's reprimand. After kriffing up the dosage of Force-suppressor, he never wanted to see that karking kid again. "Is it them?"

"Registration says _Gambit_. VCX's are popular around here, but I'm gonna run it through…make sure everything's on the up and up."

"Probably a good idea." Bosh muttered as they waited.

"It's valid, oh wait…huh…they're leaving anyway."

"No problems then. I'm going out." Bosh stood up and headed for the door. "Bower's got the watch."

Dax nodded as the injured brawler left the room. Maybe he'd just drink himself into a coma and not bother anyone for the next few days. If he kept kriffing up like he had before, he wouldn't have long on the team. It would suck to lose Roxi and Bosh in the same week.

* * *

Ezra walked through the dirty, dark streets of Goben. It was late night and so dark that the Jedi was beginning to think that dark was a constant state here. The sky had been heavy with black, polluted clouds, and he had a hard time believing the sun could even penetrate to the ground.

Eyes watched him from the shadows, but Ezra ignored them, keeping his coat's hood up and shrouding his face. Further down the street, he saw a seedy looking Rodian get mugged by two equally seedy looking humans; however, they let Ezra pass right by.

He followed the directions he'd been given and spied the place down the street. It was lined in damaged neon. Not surprisingly, the bar had no name above it, just a malfunctioning holo that blinked "Bar" at random intervals. It was most likely the only place to drink within blocks.

_Nice place_ , Ezra grimaced as he pulled at the door's dirty handle, glad he had gloves on.

The place was packed with people and was only a little nicer on the inside than it was on the outside. He finally made his way to the bar to order an Ebla. The music was loud and there was a dance area, packed with all sorts of beings. Ezra's eyes searched the room as he watched the DJ start a new song with a heavy beat that he could feel pounding in his internal organs.

A girl passed by, with red and yellow hair the color of fire. It reminded him achingly of Sabine. She'd had the same hair color when they'd married. He pushed the thought into the back of his mind to stop the pain from spreading, and forced his mind to return to its focus.

He drank for a time. Glancing across the bar, he caught the glimpse of a huge bald man resembling their target. He looked like a human version of a rancor. Ezra caught another glimpse of his target's features when he looked up, seemingly searching the crowd for a friend.

Over the next few moments, during which Ezra kept taking surreptitious glances, he saw that Bosh had changed since the feed from just days ago. There was a jagged angry cut trailing over Bosh's cheek, and one of his eyes was wrong. It was almost swollen closed. Apparently, he did like to fight.

It was all Ezra could do not to leap the bar and force the ugly lump of muscle to show him where Sabine and Caleb were being held. He held back, however, nursing his beer and trying to keep his eyes from betraying his interest in the man. Sabine and Caleb were out there and he had to do everything right to get them back. There WAS no room for failure.

Apparently, the thug was in no mood to hurry. They sat drinking for another hour, which tapped the limits of Ezra's Jedi patience. Finally, just when he had decided to go over and try his hand at a mind trick, Bosh paid his tab and rose to his feet. Ezra threw some credits on the counter as he made his own way to the door.

Following the ex-fighter down the streets was a simple matter. The Inquisitor's operative had obviously been drinking something strong, because he was a lot drunker than he should have been for just a couple of hours in a bar. Still, Ezra took no chances, staying far back, as they walked several blocks. Eventually, they came to a grey duracrete wall, surrounding at least one large building.

He slipped back behind a corner and waited until he saw the criminal move inside.

Then Ezra circled the complex, which seemed to be an abandoned droid factory. As far as factories went, it was on the smaller side, but it was still large enough to hold a good-sized force. He sensed four lookouts, two that he could see in the front on catwalks overlooking what must be a courtyard, and two inside that he couldn't see.

Reaching out to the Force, trying to sense Sabine and Caleb, and he caught the faintest wisp of their presences. They were either asleep or unconscious, but they were alive. He was going to try and brush against their minds, but he sensed the looming presence in the dark side stir slightly, so he pulled away.

He stopped walking after putting some distance between himself and the complex. "I found them." He said after keying his comm. "They're inside an abandoned factory of some sort."

He could hear Hera draw a sharp breath and slowly let it out. "Thank the Force."

"We'll need to move fast."

Their channel was secure enough to talk about the plan because Kallus had encoded their comms on the way to Vulpter. Now, they had the benefit of the best security available to the New Republic. "Two guards on catwalks inside and outside the building. Four in total. That's all I could see, but I assume there are others on the inside. Taking out the guards on the catwalks would mean we'd have the whole place covered. Then, the rest of us can go in and get them out. Sabine and Caleb are on the bottom floor inside the main building, I believe. And...the darksider's there."

"Good job. We're on the way," Hera said. "Don't go it alone."

"I hear you," he said, looking around him desperately. Everything inside him said to go in and go in NOW. "I'll be here."

* * *

The duracrete wall was cold. Caleb could feel it against his back like a block of ice as he lay on the bench, but he couldn't summon the energy to move. He just laid there, staring at Sabine's boots, unblinkingly. He was afraid to think, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. He was lost in a dark maze of worry, winding around and around until he felt like he'd never untangle himself.

The dark side seemed to hiss and snicker around him. It whispered that he was a part of it now. There was no more light and there never would be. The light side was gone—gone forever. He put a hand to each ear, trying to block out the murmuring, but it was in his head and impossible to get away from. He began to shiver with the chilling cold.

"Caleb." It was Sabine. Her words were just a whisper, but she shifted, trying to catch his eyes.

Caleb said nothing. A single tear traced over the bridge of his nose before it landed on the bench.

"Caleb, please," she said. "You'll be okay. You just gotta have faith, kiddo."

He sniffled with a hiccupping sound. "Ezra's…not coming, is he?" _Because you're bad. You used the dark side…and he won't want you as a Padawan anymore,_ the smooth, cold voice seemed to coil around him like a snake and settle into his chest. A strangled sob escaped again. "He's not coming."

"Yes, he is. Just hang on." Sabine breathed. "Hang on, little cub." If he lost hope…she knew he wouldn't be able to fight Tarek for long. She scrambled for something to boost his confidence with. "You know, Caleb…I was thinking you're a lot like your mama and your father."

"Huh?" Caleb sniffled.

"They never gave up. You've got a stubborn streak a parsec long, too. All of us do." Her head ached horribly, but she kept an encouraging tone to her voice. "We don't give in, and we don't ever give up. That's how I know…" she coughed, "how I know Ezra hasn't given up on us. He's looking for us right now."

Caleb shook his head. "What if…what if you're w-wrong?" More tears streaked down his cheeks. "Wh-what if…" He couldn't finish; he curled in upon himself and buried his face against the bench. Sabine could see his shoulders shaking with his tears.

"Baby, no." She whispered. "I'm not wrong. I know. You just have to hold on."

* * *

When Kallus's agents were in place, Zeb climbed down to let them in to the complex and Ezra was able to get a good view of the factory. The courtyard was large and open enough to land a transport and several small shuttles, and in fact, there was a ship larger than the _Ghost_ there. Toward the back of the courtyard was the main complex.

As they passed the ship, Ezra grimaced, estimating how many men could be inside. Perhaps attacking late at night, along with Kallus's agents on the catwalks, would be enough to offset any disadvantage. With a smile, he noticed Kallus planting charges as they passed the vessel. At least they wouldn't be pursued if they managed to get away. "Sabine would be proud," he murmured, sharing a smile with Kallus.

The place was just too big and would take too long to search room by room, so Ezra used his connection to the Force to sense Sabine and Caleb. To the left, over by the main complex. Cale's Force signature glimmered faintly, instead of shining like a star, and that was when Ezra realized something was not right. "This way," he said, pointing toward a door.

Once they were in, Ezra directed them to a room along the wall. "They're in here."

He used the Force to pull the heavy metal door open. It clattered against the hallway, but he hardly noticed once he saw Sabine, tied to an Imperial interrogation table. She was hanging limp in the straps, and he ran to her immediately, checking for vital signs. His hands were trembling too badly to sense a pulse, however.

" _Cyar'ika_ ," he whispered. There were ugly black bruises on her throat, and for a moment he felt a heart stopping terror that she was dead. He almost cried when she came back to consciousness, her eyelashes fluttering as she moaned and opened her eyes.

The bruises around her throat and broken blood vessels in her eyes told him she'd been strangled.

"Sabine." He cupped her cheek, turning her unfocused eyes toward him. "I'm here."

She focused on him and managed a smile through her pain. "I knew you'd come." She couldn't raise her voice above a whisper.

He tried to free her from her binders, but nothing happened. He tried again with the Force, frantic to get her free, but they were impervious to his abilities.

"These aren't coming off the normal way. Trust me?" he asked her. She nodded immediately.

"Then don't move," he used his lightsaber to delicately cut the binders off of her arms and legs. She fell into his arms, weak and shaking, and it was then he saw the abrasions on her wrists from her struggles. "Easy, there." He murmured, taking one of her hands in his gently, as his other supported her around her waist.

"I'm okay. I can't even feel it," she lied. He let her play tough, though, knowing she needed to feel strong.

He leaned his forehead against her own for a moment then began to guide her toward where he saw Hera sitting with Caleb in her arms.

Obviously, she'd found her son and was trying to comfort him.

"He's okay?" Ezra asked, seeing the blood staining Caleb's head and lek. He knelt at their side, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. His Padawan didn't even lift his head. "Caleb?"

The child looked up, terrified, then pressed his face against his mom again. "You…you still came for me…" he said through wracking sobs that shook his small form like earthquakes.

"Always." Ezra promised softly, smoothing the child's hair and funneling the flow of the light side of the Force to him to calm his turbulent emotions. "We have to leave, Spectre Seven. Think you can walk out of here?"

There was a noise of affirmation from Caleb, who had lifted his head again. He was looking at Ezra with abject worry in his eyes, as the Jedi focused on the binder and chain on Caleb's ankle. He tried to get it to release, but it was like Sabine's and stayed firmly fastened, so he simply cut the chain near the boy's ankle. They'd get the rest off later.

Zeb leaned in from outside the room. "They know we're here!" Zeb called. "We gotta go. Chop's en route with the Phantom, along with the agent's astromech on their ship..."

Hera got Caleb to his feet and Ezra helped Sabine

"Here." Ezra handed Sabine her one surviving Westar, knowing she'd feel better if she was armed. "The other one didn't make it."

"Yeah, I know." Sabine said, her eyes darkening. "And that bastard…he's got Kanan's lightsaber too." It was wrong. She didn't want him to have it…it belonged to Hera and Caleb. Her fist tightened on her gun. She wanted…no she **NEEDED** to take him down.

Ezra could sense the direction of her thoughts. "We get away, that's what's important."

"No…I told that mother kriffin' bastard I'd kill him…and I mean to do it." She swayed a little on her feet, gritting her teeth in frustration at her weakened state. She almost fell to her knees, if not for Ezra's quick reaction. She leaned against Ezra heavily as he pulled her to her feet and the strength she'd gained from her anger began to melt.

"Yeah. That's probably not gonna happen," Ezra said, as he set an arm under her shoulders. "Let's go."

They began to limp out, followed by Hera and Caleb. The boy balked when they reached the door and he heard blasterfire being exchanged between Zeb and Tarek's soldiers. Caleb latched on to Hera with both hands and refused to go any further. "No…no," he breathed. "Can't..."

"C'mon, love. We have to go," Hera said, rubbing his back gently.

Kallus poked his head in, then entered.

Caleb's eyes went wide. "Uncle Xandr?"

"Yeah. Sorry I missed your birthday, kit. I have a present for you, but we have to go back to your house because that's where I left it. Wanna get out of here?"

Caleb hesitated, weighing his fear with what the adults seemed to want him to do. "You got hurt," he whispered, looking at the agent's wounded arm.

"It's just grazed. I'm fine. Little bacta and engine tape, and I'll be all good. Ready to go?"

He nodded uncertainly. Kallus put a hand on his head and smoothed his hair gently as he brought his comm up. "Agents. Order 92 delta is in place. Repeat, order 92 delta. I want a crater deeper than a sarlacc pit when I give the word."

"Chela's injured, but she's holding the line." Nash's voice came over the comms. "I'll get her out over the wall when it's time."

"Roger, Agent."

Zeb glanced in, came over and scooped Caleb up in one arm. "I've got you. Hold on tight."

They broke free from the room, but saw that Ezra was opening another door next to Sabine and Caleb's cell. The Mandalorian was back under cover, as they waited for the Jedi to return.

Hera was laying cover fire as Zeb reached her. "What are they doing?"

"The bounty hunter. She tried to save them, Sabine says and…" Hera and Zeb ducked back behind cover, then Hera began firing again. "...and they're getting her out too."

Zeb bristled when he saw the bounty hunter exit with Ezra. "If this is some kind of trick…" he said, narrowing his eyes at her. "You'll wish you'd never seen any of us." His tone said he would have said something harsher had the kid not been in his arms. The Theelin was pale, and there were dark smudges under her eyes. Apparently, she hadn't been treated any better than Sabine, but that still made Zeb feel only marginally better about her coming along.

"No tricks." Roxi murmured, her eyes caught by Sabine and Caleb. "I…I promise."

"Later." Ezra said again, wrapping an arm under Sabine's shoulder. Suddenly though, he paused and turned to look across the dark factory floor as if he saw something there. "Kallus. You guys get Sabine. I'll give you cover."

Kallus slid his injured arm under Sabine's shoulders, and Hera led the way. They moved toward the exit into the courtyard. Ezra deflected the shots coming from a group of Tarek's men.

"Keep moving," he called back, glancing over his shoulder and meeting Zeb's worried eyes. Hera had almost reached the outside door when…

...time turned to syrup. Ezra sensed the dark presence moving toward them before it broke from the shadows. When it did, a red blade came to life in the darkness, highlighting the features of the blond man from the town square on Lothal. A familiar blue blade came to life in the darkness as well. Tarek stood, holding both his own and Kanan's sword. Brandishing Kanan's blade was a deliberate tactic to unnerve him, Ezra knew.

There was an eerie silence as all of Tarek's soldiers quit shooting. There was a pause in shots from Kallus's team as well.

Tarek advanced. "So. Kanan Jarrus's Padawan comes to challenge me."

"Those you took were under my protection." Ezra said in a calm voice, holding his lightsaber in a ready stance. Suddenly, Kanan's first few saber lessons with him flashed through his mind. He could almost feel Kanan's hand on his shoulder, adjusting his grip and making sure his guard was correct. Then the sensation was gone, except for a reassurance in the Force.

"I can see you fancy yourself a Jedi, Bridger. Why don't we see some technique?" The ex-Inquisitor attacked with several slashing blows, which Ezra blocked. The Jedi even got in a good shot, but it only momentarily hit a shoulder-piece of the Inquisitor armor, causing no damage to the flesh underneath. With a Force push, he threw the Inquisitor back about ten feet.

"Get the injured to the ships." Ezra called as blaster fire began to rain down again.

"Not without you!" Sabine yelled.

Ezra's eyes followed the Inquisitor as he regained his footing and began to advance again, deflecting Hera and Kallus's blaster fire while keeping his golden eyes focused entirely on Ezra. "Just go! I'm coming!" Ezra promised, hoping with everything inside of him that it wouldn't turn out to be a lie.

Zeb nodded, glancing to Kallus, who was pulling Sabine toward the door with everything he had. The Mandalorian was screaming, but the sudden barrage of blaster fire drowned out her words as she was not just pushed, but driven to the door.

Ezra remained behind, for now.


	17. Chapter 17

17.

Ezra's sword locked with the Inquisitor's blades once again. They were face to face, each trying to push the advantage.

"You are losing, Jedi." Tarek pushed the Force at Ezra and threw him back into the nearest wall. "The light side is weak."

Ezra used his quick reflexes to bounce immediately back onto his feet. He'd suffered a lightsaber burn along his chest, but he had pulled so much of the Force to him that the pain from the wound seemed far away. What was most important was to stop the Inquisitor from following Caleb, Sabine and the others out of the door behind him. Secondary to that was how he would manage his own escape. As he looked into the golden eyes of his opponent, Ezra wasn't sure he would even survive this fight. The ex-Inquisitor was powerful. But the waves of brilliant light he felt flowing through him reassured him that he was taking the correct path. He had no idea where that path might lead, but he gave himself up to it fully. As long as he could protect his family, he cared little about the rest.

There were a few guards, including Bosh, who were trying to move around Ezra, to pursue his escaping friends, but Ezra threw the Force in their direction. They scattered like marbles as they were pushed back with an incredible amount of energy. Ezra readjusted to block the door more completely, then brought his gaze back to the ex-Inquisitor and raised his blade, turning his body to the side to make a smaller target.

"My men and I will recover Caleb Jarrus and I will resume his training." Tarek said. He was bleeding from a cut on his forehead, dripping down into his eye. He wiped it away, as if it were nothing.

"You're wrong. The boy will be a Jedi, like his father before him." The Force throbbed with the truth of those words as the Inquisitor advanced. The Force narrowed Ezra's focus to his movements. Parry, riposte, retreat. Advance, beat, remise. He was fast and in practice, but the ex-Inquisitor's hatred made him a strong adversary.

"You won't be around to see it." The ex-Inquisitor spat. "The time of the Jedi has passed."

_Let go._ Ezra heard Kanan's voice in his mind; he wasn't sure if it was a memory or not, but it really didn't matter, did it? Because Kanan was with him. Always. And just like his master, he would not let his attachment to his family twist him to the dark side. He was surprised that when faced with the choice, it was the easiest thing in the world. Just like Kanan, he could let them go.

Back and forth across the floor. Parry, riposte, force push…the fight went on. They moved too fast for Tarek's men to get in a good shot—they were all too busy watching, mouths agape.

Ezra had just thrown the Inquisitor back again when he heard shots from outside and return fire. There was the sound of a ship landing. _Go_ , he thought. _Go, Sabine. I'm sorry. I hope you can understand._ He thought he felt her respond to his silent goodbye, and his heart clenched in pain at her anguished response.

Distracted by the ship, Ezra never realized the opening he was giving the Inquisitor. There was a sudden red flash across his left eye, along with a searing pain. He cried out, going only on instinct; the Force led him to drop to one knee to slide under the ex-Inquisitor's blade, his free hand landing flat on the floor to balance him. At the same time, he threw up his saber to block the flurry of blows that beat his blade. With a flip of the wrist, he managed to counterattack and force Kanan's saber out of Tarek's hand. Then he threw the Inquisitor back in desperation. Meanwhile, the saber had disengaged and skittered across the floor to land against a wall.

In the midst of the pain from the wound to his eye, Ezra opened his hand and called to it, and it came to him immediately.

He stood and lit both sabers, facing off with Tarek. It was all he could do not to sink to his knees and moan in pain. He couldn't see anything out of the blistering agony of his left eye, and he realized with surprising calmness that it was probably going to be a fatal disadvantage in this fight. _Well, make it worth something_ …he thought. He swept Kanan's blade in a circle as he retreated.

"Oh, right. I remember reading it in his file. Your master lost his vision, and now you." Tarek tilted his head as he approached warily. He was well aware that a wounded animal was most dangerous, Ezra realized. "Maybe I'll take your other eye before I kill you."

"If I die, I won't be going alone." Ezra swung Kanan's blade in a lazy circle as he readied himself for the next attack. He was running just on the Force, now, channeling it like he'd never done before. It seemed to thrum in every muscle of his body and sing in every cell. "Let's finish this."

* * *

The _Phantom II_ had touched down right near the factory door. "I can't. I can't leave him," Sabine wailed as Hera helped her into the small vessel.

Hera reached over and held Sabine's face in both her hands and made her look up. "Listen. We're going back for him, Zeb and I. You keep Caleb here. Take…take care of him if…" she stopped, unable to go on when Caleb entered the ship with Zeb.

"You know I will." Sabine whispered, reaching up to grab Hera's hand in her own. Tears spilled down her face. "I swear, Hera."

She squeezed Sabine's hand back, then turned to Chopper. "You too, Chop." The droid replied with one low whistle.

She stepped to Caleb, who Zeb placed in the seat next to Sabine.

"Caleb." Hera whispered as she leaned in to press her forehead against his own. "I have to go back and get Ezra. I know you're scared, but you have to be brave."

Caleb began to cry, but he nodded too. "O-ok…m-mommy."

She nodded and moved to kiss his forehead. "I love you." She left before either one of them could get more emotional.

Kallus and Roxi were outside, holding off the scattered thugs that were firing on their position. Some of Kallus's snipers were helping, as blue shots streaked from up on high to fend off their attackers. Hera and Zeb came out, guns drawn.

"We're goin' back for Ezra." Zeb called to Kallus, who turned.

"Hera, no. Go back. I have this." Kallus grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him, pushing her toward the ship. "Hold the ship…we'll bring him back."

"I have to…" Hera began, but Kallus squeezed her hand.

"No. Noone would miss me, but you have that boy in there, who needs his mother. Go." Kallus joined Zeb, firing at targets that were trying to slowly creep forward.

" **We** would miss you, Alexandr." Hera said softly.

"That means more to me than you'll ever know." Kallus replied, with a grin. "Hold 'em off as long as you can."

Hera still didn't like it, but she was unable to argue about it any further because she had to fire at the enemy—an aqualish who was trying to make his move. She put him down.

Kallus called into his comm. "Agents, time to go, but wait for my signal." He dropped his wrist, then called "Moving…" as he made his way from the ship to a large metallic shipping container that stood between them and the door, while Zeb kept up the cover fire.

"Moving…" Zeb reached the container, then moved on to the complex door. Kallus joined him.

"Ready?" Kallus asked.

"Is a Hutt ready to eat?" Zeb asked, an eyebrow raised and a smirk on his features. "Let's do this."

They entered.

* * *

"Your wife told me how she worries about you and your…mental state." Tarek was trying to tire him out by attacking, then retreating, trying to goad Ezra into moving further out from the door; however, Ezra was too exhausted to be drawn out.

What Tarek had said was true; Ezra knew that it was a fear she didn't want to admit to herself. A fear they'd both struggled with since…since his breakdown on Hoth. Ezra knew that she hadn't shared such information willingly and the idea that the Inquisitor had been…been in her head like that made his blood run cold.

_Don't get angry. Make your opponent come to you, Ezra,_ Kanan's voice echoed in his mind. He stood firm and waited for the Inquisitor's next attack, physically or verbally.

"Give up now and join the dark. Your anger over your Master's death will make you strong. I feel it inside of you, eating away at your Jedi sense of peace," he sneered.

Ezra ignored him, concentrating on the Force and all its myriad shifts. His sabers were starting to feel like they weighed ten kilos. His strength was failing him, and he would need to sense Tarek's attack in the Force before it came.

Tarek tried his last tactic. "How many Inquisitors do you think survived after the fall of the Empire? They will come, hunting this child because he is strong with the Force. Much stronger than you will ever be. With the dark side, you could keep your family safe."

Ezra shook his head. "Lies."

"You are a fool!" Tarek roared through gritted teeth, making a running lunge for the Jedi. Ezra blocked with Kanan's lightsaber, and attacked with his own, striking between two of Tarek's plates of armor and biting deeply into his side before the Inquisitor backed away.

Ezra watched as the darksider growled with a mix of frustration and pain, stepping back and hitting the area with his fist, digging into the wound. At first, Ezra couldn't figure out why he would do such a thing. Then he realized that Tarek was using the pain from aggravating his own wound in a twisted way to make himself stronger.

He could sense the dark side growing around them, as if slowly waiting for something.

He pushed two of the guards who had tried to use the moment to close in, sending them sprawling to the floor, and knew he was about at the limit of what he could do. His body was close to giving up on him.

_Sabine_ , he thought. _I'm so so sorry. I love you. I would have done this a thousand times over if it meant you and Caleb were rescued…_

…and in the agent's ship, Sabine looked up with wide eyes as she felt Ezra's presence around her.

Caleb's eyes were full of tears and as she saw them, she knew he felt the same. "No…Ezra…"

She screamed, breaking forward from the cabin to the landing platform. Hera tried to stop her, but she shook her head. "Ezra…no!" she called. The Theelin caught Sabine around the waist and was just barely able to hold her in check.

"You can't!"

…Back in the complex, Ezra swept his head from side to side, checking the now-blind spot in his vision for any would-be attackers, but saw no one except the Inquisitor, who was advancing for another attack. Ezra's knees began to buckle; he felt Force signatures behind him, and realized his enemy had flanked him after all. When he whirled, however, he saw Zeb and Kallus.

Tarek sneered and pointed toward all of them while keying his comm. "Concentrate fire on their position." Ezra began to scream at them to go—to run and get away, but Kallus already had his comm up and he was speaking into it as Zeb pulled Ezra toward the door.

There was a noise of thunder and everything went white.

* * *

Kallus and Zeb had just emerged from the door when the first explosions began. Sabine was screaming and threatening to kill Roxi for holding her back when she saw that Kallus and Zeb had someone between them.

Ezra.

He was limp in their hands, his hair fallen loose from its tie to shroud his face, but it was Ezra. His hand was moving to his belt as he reattached two lightsabers there, but he didn't look up at her. There wasn't time for her to check on him.

"Get on board!" Zeb yelled. The explosions had started on the far end of the complex and were coming closer.

The shuttle was crowded, but large enough for all of them. Hera pushed forward to the helm, where Chopper was. The astromech chirped that they were ready for take-off, and Hera slipped into the pilot's seat.

"Strap in! This might be rough," Hera called.

Before taking a seat, Kallus reached out and disarmed the bounty hunter, slinging the blaster rifle across his own back. "Sorry, but we need to be sure," he said.

She nodded slowly in response, wrapping her arms around herself and looking down at her feet. It was then, Kallus noticed the bruises on her throat that matched Sabine's. It wasn't proof positive that she was on their side, but it was a start.

The thunder of many more explosions ripped through the complex and caused the tiny Phantom II to bounce around as it lifted off.

Zeb and Ezra were near the back of the shuttle. Zeb held on to a section of the wall beside the seat Ezra was in, unwilling to leave him alone. "Kallus. Look under that seat for the medkit." Zeb said in a low voice, so he wouldn't be overheard.

Kallus grabbed it, gave it to Zeb and the Lasat rummaged through it, finding a sprayhypo while the shuttle made a steep ascent. He administered the painkiller/antibiotic combo; it could only help the pain of the lightsaber burn across Ezra's chest.

"Everybody safe?" Ezra asked, reaching out to grab Zeb's arm.

"Far as I know. We've got Hera, Kallus, Caleb, Sabine, the bounty hunter, me and you. Not sure about the agents. Kallus said they were taking the other ship. You doin' ok, kit?" Zeb murmured as he finally noticed Ezra's face. Before, his loose dark hair had been in the way, and there hadn't exactly been time to check him over.

Zeb's breath caught in his chest as he saw that the Inquisitor 's lightsaber had struck on the left side of Ezra's face, all the way into his eye. The visible part of the sclera of his eye was red and the cornea was clouded. The angular line of burned flesh led downward toward Ezra's ear.

Ezra's voice, when it came was thick with pain. "Y…yeah, Zeb. It's better, now." The Jedi reached back and fumbled with the hood on his jacket. He spoke softly to explain. "Don't want Caleb worried about me. Get us back to the _Ghost_ first." Ezra said, looking up at Zeb. The Jedi was trying desperately to make sure that Caleb didn't feel the agony of his wounds, muting the bond between them, while at the same time, trying to send reassurance to the kid. It was difficult in his weakened state.

"Can you…see anything?" Zeb murmured, then cursed himself. It was a dumb question. The wound looked much like Kanan's had been—the angry, seared flesh was swollen and weeping. Of course, he couldn't see anything, and probably wouldn't be able to see anything again.

"No," he replied. As Zeb looked away quickly, tears threatening, he noticed Sabine making her way back to them. He moved up in front of Ezra to block her.

"Sabine. You've been through a lot…it's probably good if you sit down and…" He began.

"Out of my way, Zeb," she said in a low growl of warning. Zeb promptly stepped aside.

Her eyes went from Ezra's chest wound to his face and there was a sharp intake of breath as she saw the damage. "Force, Ezra…" It was a smaller wound than Kanan's had been, but easily just as bad.

"Don't worry. 'S okay." He mumbled, his voice somewhat slurred now from both exhaustion and pain medication. Using so much of the Force had wiped him out, a lot like when he'd come back from Caleb's cave that day in the rain. He wanted to sleep this whole bad dream away.

She moved to pull back his hood and he grasped her hand gently.

"Don't. I…I don't want Caleb to see this right now. He's been through enough." He shook his head, "And…even if it is permanent, like Kanan's was…it's a small price to pay to have you both safe." At seeing her face, he began to understand why Kanan had worn his mask for so long before he had set it aside. He didn't want to be the cause of the grief she was struggling with. He leaned in to her and she put her arm comfortingly around him. When he opened his eyes, he saw he'd drifted off for a moment.

"I'll stay here with Ezra…you watch after Cale. He's…he's been through a lot." Zeb nodded, silently laying a hand on Ezra's shoulder before he went back to the front of the ship. They could hear quiet conversation up there, but they couldn't quite make out what was being said.

Sabine bit her lip. She didn't have cold water with which to flush the wound with, so she settled for the next best thing. "Ezra. I'm going to put some bacta on the burn. It'll help with the pain." She'd dressed his wounds before, even going so far as to put a stitch or two in certain cuts that needed it, but she could do almost nothing to make this better.

He nodded once, watching her tiredly. She drew on a pair of gloves and working within the confines of his hood, she began to apply the clear gel to his cheek and directly to his eye. Then she placed gauze over the area and wrapped it around his head to hold it. Finally, she gently placed a cold pack on the area, to bring down the temperature of the burned tissue.

He reached up and brushed at her cheek with his fingers. He didn't get them the first time, but the second time, he wiped the tears away. "Sabinika, don't," he murmured.

She hadn't realized she was crying. "I'm okay, Ezra. Rest now." She wiped away her tears and moved to the lightsaber burn on his chest. Eventually, Ezra's eyes drifted closed and it was obvious he was asleep.

When she was done, Kallus came over and tried to get her to allow him to check her for wounds, but she shook her head, shedding her gloves. "I'm ok. Later…" she murmured, unwilling to leave Ezra's side.

Kallus started to argue with her, but he saw the _Ghost_ ; Hera was docking them. He settled for using the hand-held med scanner on Sabine. It showed she'd suffered bruises and petechial hemorrhaging in her eyes from constriction of her airway. She could barely speak loud enough to be understood, and she had abrasions and burns as well. He contemplated administering a sprayhypo but decided to wait until they got her to the _Ghost's_ small medbay.

When they were docked, Hera came to the front of the ship. She looked worried…apparently Zeb had found some way to let her know of the seriousness of Ezra's injuries without Caleb catching on.

Ezra had been somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, floating in semi-darkness, until he felt Hera's concerned thoughts as she knelt in front of him. He opened his eyes, and the pain jolted him back to reality. "Can you make the ladder, love? We need to get you to the medbay, okay?"

"Yeah. I got it." He promised, standing on his own. He put a hand out on his injured side to brush against the wall as he made his way to the ladder. It was a familiar gesture; Kanan had used the same one to get around the Ghost in those early days after Malachor.

Hera opened the hatch, but Kallus stepped up. "I'll go first," Kallus said.

Once the agent was down, Ezra began to climb down slowly. When he reached the bottom, his hand slipped and he fell a little, but was steadied by Kallus. "Now you, Sabine." Kallus called up.

"How's Caleb?" Kallus asked Hera as she followed Sabine down.

"Physically, he'll be fine." Hera said softly. "Not sure about the rest."

Kallus nodded. Looking up as the bounty hunter began to make her way down, he gestured to Hera. "Go to the medbay with them. I'll handle the rest."

Hera put a hand on his arm for a brief moment of thanks, then she and Sabine helped Ezra to the medbay.

Caleb came down with Zeb. The child was clinging to Zeb as the Lasat descended the ladder.

When Zeb's hands were free, they went to the kit, stroking his hair gently and patting him on the back. He was crying with his face buried in Zeb's fur.

"It's okay, kit." Zeb soothed. "You're safe. Ezra's safe. Sabine's safe. We're all safe."

The sound of sobbing did not abate. "Let's take him to the common room and check him over just in case he's injured." Kallus said, noticing blood in the child's hair and on his lekku.

Zeb led the way, followed by the bounty hunter and then Kallus. "Take a seat, Ms. Shan." Kallus gestured to a chair in the corner. "We'll check you for wounds next. Don't do anything to cause us to regret rescuing you."

She nodded, holding both hands up in surrender and taking a seat. "I'm okay," she murmured. "Help the child."

Satisfied, Kallus turned to Caleb, who was curled up in the booth on the seat. Zeb had stepped away to retrieve the portable med kit. "Caleb. I need to check you over. Are you hurt anywhere?"

The little boy softly whispered, "My head." He gave a huge sniffle as his eyes followed Zeb.

"Let's see what we can do about that." Kallus began to search through Caleb's hair, looking for the source of the blood. He found a deep gash in the boy's scalp running into his right lek, just when Zeb returned with the medkit. It was oozing very slowly and looked like it had happened some hours or even a day ago. It had to be painful.

"He's got a cut here." Kallus said as he met Zeb's eyes. "I'll need some bacta, alcohol and gauze pads and then I'll need a little wound glue. It looks like you fell…" Kallus said to Caleb as he took the tube of bacta from Zeb and began to dab it on the wound. It would numb the spot before he cleaned it, then he would close the wound.

Caleb nodded, tears still streaming down his face. "We…we tried to escape." Caleb whispered. "She helped us." He pointed at Roxi.

Roxi looked down, embarrassedly. "Sorry I didn't help sooner, kid." She mumbled.

Kallus glanced at her momentarily, then returned to the head wound. "Well, it does look like you hit pretty hard…" he murmured. There was a bruised, raised lump around the cut. Kallus began to clean the cut with the alcohol, watching to make sure that it didn't sting Caleb, then he added more bacta and then used the wound glue to close it.

"Is…is Ez…Ezra m…mad a-at me?" Caleb asked, sniffling, as Kallus put gentle pressure on the wound.

Kallus raised an eyebrow, looking confusedly to Zeb. The Lasat knelt beside the bench. "Not at all. Why in Ashla's name would you ask that, kit?"

_Because Ezra's blocking our bond_ …Caleb thought, but couldn't speak. Instead, he just shook his head and pulled his knees into his chest, burying his face against them. He could feel the absence of his master through the bond. Ezra was blocking him out; the only reason Caleb could think he would do that would be because he knew. He must know that Caleb had used the dark side like the Inquisitor wanted him to, and now Ezra didn't want him as a Padawan. He would never be a Jedi now.

_Yes_ …the voice that had slithered inside of his heart murmured. _That's why. You're not fit to be a Jedi like him. He has given up on you. He rejected you._

He heard and felt Zeb and Uncle Xandr trying to get him to talk, but he couldn't; he was too distraught. There was even a slight flare of concern from Ezra, but then nothing. Caleb could feel Zeb gathering him into his arms and carrying him to his room on the _Ghost_.

Zeb was bewildered at the child's copious tears. He would have called Hera, but she surely had her hands full right now; and Kallus had gone to the helm to get them on a course to Coruscant.

So for now, he sat on Caleb's bed and allowed the child to cling to him tightly. "Cry it out. It's okay. We're all safe." He rubbed Caleb's back gently, but it seemed to do nothing to ease the child's grief. Eventually, Caleb fell asleep, fingers still twined into Zeb's fur; his breath warm against the Lasat's shoulder.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you are still enjoying the story! There's more to come, so sit tight. I have spring break this week, so I hope it won't be too long before I have another chapter up. We probably have two or three more chapters to go. I love hearing from you guys.
> 
> This little AU has really taken on a life of its own. I have started sketching out the Caleb at 15 years old series for next...so any ideas you might have, I might be able to incorporate (no promises, but I'm open for suggestions!).


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone. We have about three more chapters to go! Is this the falling action to the story or the calm before the last storm? It's up to you to find out.
> 
> Thanks for all the positive love this story has received up to now. You guys keep me motivated, and I'm so glad you're having as much fun as I am.

 

 

 

18.

Ezra woke up in the medbay. It was dark, the _Ghost's_ interior lights were on the night cycle. He was lying on his side, and Sabine was on the other bed. He blinked at her, feeling almost like the earlier events had been a dream.

But her neck was horribly bruised and he could see her bandaged wrists. It was no dream.

Everything came back in clear flashes. He could remember her lying limp in the straps of the interrogation table…Caleb looking up with fear in those dark blue-green eyes of his…Tarek, the ex-Inquisitor coming for him.

A flash of red.

His hand moved to his face, grazing over bandages that covered his eye, and a long linear burn on his face. He noticed a dull ache from the lightsaber burn on his chest in addition to the same pain on his face, and when he sat up, he realized that the pain medication keeping his eye from being a blistering agony probably accounted for his disoriented state.

He and Sabine were the only two in the medbay right now. He could sense her deep, dreamless sleep with the Force and he knew she would be okay. He expanded his senses further out and sensed Hera in the cockpit. She was staying focused, trying not to worry about them as she piloted her ship to the next jump point on their way to Coruscant. Then his focused intent found Caleb.

And things were terribly wrong.

Sticky threads of the dark side extended outward from him. He could feel his Padawan's sleeping mind and knew that even in his dreams Caleb was struggling with the dark.

He had been a fool to block the kid from their bond. Mentally kicking himself, he stood up, steadied himself on the bedside and then made his way to the door. He was leaning and had to pull himself away from the door frame; apparently, not having his full vision was throwing off his equilibrium. He wondered how Kanan had managed in those first dark days after Malachor.

He made his way to the ladder up, and climbed, taking it hand over foot, one at a time. When he reached the upper deck, he headed for Caleb's room, where his Padawan was.

He placed a hand on the door and it opened. Zeb was sitting on the bed, his back to the bulkhead and Caleb was in his arms, uneasily asleep.

Zeb startled. "Ezra…you're supposed to be in the medbay."

"Kid needs me." Ezra said simply, sitting on the bed beside Zeb. Caleb's face was twisted in grief as he clung to Zeb in his sleep. Ezra placed a hand on his back, bowing his head and using the Force's everglow to ease the child's dreams.

Zeb raised an eyebrow. "He's been crying since we reached the _Ghost_. Kallus and I don't know what's wrong with him."

"I do." Ezra said gently. "It's the dark side, pulling at him."

"Karabast," the Lasat cursed. "Like…like what you were fighting with after Malachor?"

Ezra nodded, holding out his arms for Caleb. Zeb transferred the boy to Ezra's embrace. Where Caleb's dreams had been uneasy and troubled before, now the child settled and slept soundly. "I'll stay up here until we get to Coruscant." Ezra murmured.

"Kallus has…doctors standing by for you there." Zeb said, helping Ezra ease back on the bed so that his back was resting against the bulkhead.

The Jedi smiled ruefully but said nothing. He could feel it in the Force that his wound was too deep…and he knew it would mean permanent loss of vision in his eye. "Okay. Until then, I'll do what I can for Cale."

"I'll go tell Hera you're in here with him." Zeb murmured. "Can I get you anything?"

Ezra shook his head and looked down at the child. "I've got everything I'm going to need."

* * *

Caleb woke up from a dream where he was in a cave. It was dark and there was a shining red pyramid glowing. He saw his father and Ezra, but they were fighting a figure dressed in all black. He'd tried to run to them, but then he'd seen a giant Loth-wolf standing in the way. The wolf was strange. It was so very large and had an unusual marking on its forehead. Its eyes glowed yellow-gold in the darkness, and as it leaned toward him, he felt its warm breath on his face.

Then the dream had changed into light. It was a glow that started out small and warm, like the glow of a candle, but then bloomed into something amazing like a sunrise.

When he opened his eyes, he found that he was no longer nestled against Zeb. He looked up and saw Ezra. There was a reason he should be worried that Ezra was here, but he couldn't remember it for a moment. Then Ezra looked down at him and he saw the bandages.

"Ezra…" he whispered, sitting up.

"I'm here, and you're going to be okay." Ezra reassured him.

The memory of the past few days fell on Caleb like a ton of duracrete as he sat up and examined Ezra's wounded face. There was a bandage over Ezra's eye and another across his cheek. Everything about him right now, from the look in his eye and the way he had his arm protectively around Caleb showed that he was not angry or upset. He was looking at Caleb the way he always had. But Ezra had every reason to hate him, right? He wasn't a good Padawan; he'd been weak and his hatred of Tarek had led him to use the dark side. He'd ruined his chance of ever becoming a Jedi. And, to top it off, Ezra got really HURT trying to save him. He looked away, ashamed.

"That's the dark side talking-in your head," Ezra said. "You have to push it away. Let it go into the Force."

"But I…I used the dark side. He kept pushing me and pushing me and I kept saying no, and I didn't mean to… but I know you gotta h-hate m-me…"

"Caleb, I could never hate you." Ezra reached out gently and turned Caleb's face toward him. "Look. Look at me with the Force and tell me what you see."

Tears streaked Caleb's cheeks again, but he did what Ezra asked. He expected to see, at worst, hatred and at best…disgust or disappointment, maybe. But there was none of that. Just the brilliant, constant light of the bond that connected them.

"See, Caleb? None of those things you were afraid of are true. The dark side is full of lies. It's all lies."

Reassured, he threw himself at Ezra and wrapped his arms around him. "I was so scared." Caleb said in a rush. "He…he told me that you wouldn't want me to…to be your Padawan anymore…that…he would make me strong with the dark side and I didn't want that. But…he was hurting Sabine and I…"

Ezra grimaced slightly at the pain in his chest when Caleb hugged him, but also at the idea of what the Inquisitor had put the boy through. Tarek **had** used Sabine as leverage to get Caleb to turn to the dark side. He returned Caleb's hug and smoothed a hand over his hair as he spoke. "It's okay. You have to try to let it go into the Force. Whatever happened only has power over you if you allow it." The child was sniffling softly against Ezra's shirt. "Let it go, Padawan."

Long moments passed before Kanan's child could bring himself to release some of his guilt and anxiety into the Force. The sticky threads of the dark side weren't completely gone, but he'd just done a great deal to lighten its hold on him. Finally, tired from the effort, Caleb let go of Ezra and wiped his eyes.

"Cale. One time, a long time ago, I accidentally used the dark side to try and keep Kanan safe, so I know what you're going through." Ezra could see his admission to Caleb had the desired effect.

"You..you did?"

"Yeah. It was a mistake, one that Kanan cautioned me about, but I was able to let it go and move past it, and you can too."

Caleb nodded, and Ezra continued, "And you need to know; I blocked off my Force signature to keep you from worrying about me or feeling…any pain from me—not because I was mad at you, but because I didn't want you to be afraid. I'm sorry that you even felt for a moment that I was angry with you; that's not what I intended."

"Is it…I mean, does it hurt a lot?" Caleb murmured, staring at the bandages.

"Not as much as it did." Ezra replied. It **was** starting to throb once more, though. He could feel the pain, as if it was peeking through a curtain, ready to enter the room again.

"T-Tarek di-did it?"

Ezra nodded and Caleb's eyes widened. He swallowed hard. "Is he…is he dead?"

For a moment, Ezra tried to decide if he should evade telling the truth on this or not. Then he decided he'd be honest. He'd tried to shelter the kid from the fact that he'd been injured and look where it had gotten him. "Probably, but I'm not sure. There was an explosion and the factory collapsed. But—" he said, seeing the fear bloom in Caleb's eyes, "if he comes back, we'll be ready for him. All of us. Together."

Caleb nodded and huddled back into Ezra. As he felt for their bond, he sensed the pain Ezra was feeling. "Ezra…"

"I'm okay. I just need to rest," Ezra said. He was tired and the pain had begun to bleed through into their bond. He felt Cale lean into him as he fell back against the wall.

There was a soft knock at the door and it slid open to reveal Hera.

"Hi," she murmured. Seeing the two of them together reminded him of how thankful she was that they had each other. "Time for more medicine?"

"No arguments here," Ezra replied.

Hera looked him over. His color was off, and his eyes were creased with pain. "I'll be right back, then. You okay, kiddo?"

Caleb nodded.

"Watch over Ezra for me while I'm gone."

Her son nodded again. "I will, Mama."

* * *

When they dropped out of hyperspace over Coruscant and Hera got clearance from space traffic control, they began their approach to the planet. Once Sabine had awoken and come upstairs, she remained in Caleb's room, keeping an eye on Ezra while Caleb came to the front of the ship to watch. He'd never seen so many ships in his life, all moving in prescribed lanes of traffic down towards the surface.

When they landed, Kallus took over. A team from Coruscant Medical was waiting to take Ezra directly into an examination room, so that the doctors could evaluate him. Kallus made sure that Sabine and Caleb were checked out, as well as the injured agents on his team. Everyone was evaluated, treated and released, except for Ezra. Sabine, Caleb and Hera made their way to medbay 4, where Ezra was located.

Zeb greeted them in the hallway. "The docs are with him now. They called in two eye specialists."

"That doesn't sound good," Sabine whispered. Hera laid a hand on Sabine's shoulder.

"They asked that we wait outside for a few minutes while they check him over." Zeb looked from Hera to Sabine. "They said everything else looked good. They expect the chest wound to heal in a few weeks."

The two doctors came out. One was older than the other, and he stepped forward to speak. "Are you here with the patient?"

They nodded. Sabine stepped forward. "I'm Sabine Wren Bridger, Ezra's wife."

The younger one checked a data pad, as the older one extended his hand. "I am Doctor Evers. I wish we had better news," he murmured as he took her hand briefly. "Your husband has suffered a severe burn to the eye, as you know."

"Doctor Taleen, Ma'am," the doctor with the data pad introduced himself. "The burn is deep, and in burns like these, bacta can heal the eye, but not regrow the damaged structures."

"You're saying that he's going to be blind in that eye." Sabine said flatly, looking at both of them.

"Most likely. There is a small chance he may recover a slight amount…"

"A very slight amount," Doctor Evers added.

"…of his visual field, but it…it will be trivial in comparison to what he will lose."

"A slight amount." Sabine reached up and massaged her head. It wasn't fair. She wanted to scream; she wanted to destroy something, but there was nothing she could do. Hera immediately put a hand on Sabine's shoulder, sensing her frustration and anger.

"Does he know yet?" she asked, looking up. Her voice shaking with emotion.

"Yes, he does," Doctor Evers said, looking very sympathetic. "I'm so sorry."

Sabine turned away from them, walking a few steps away. Eventually, she leaned her face against the wall, a sure sign she was crying.

The two doctors looked to the rest of the crew. "If there's any other questions you might have, we will be here for the next staff rotation."

Hera nodded. "When…when do you think he will be released to go home?"

"We'll release him in two days, barring any unforeseen complications." Doctor Evers said. "We want to see him back in four weeks."

Hera nodded again. "Thank you."

The doctors left, heading down the hallway. After long moments Sabine lifted her head and wiped her tears with the heels of her hands. She turned back to Hera. "I've gotta go be with him," she whispered.

Hera nodded; hugging her tightly. "We'll give you a few minutes."

Caleb had been standing with Zeb and when Sabine left, he approached his mom. "Mama…What happened?" He'd heard the doctors saying things, but he wasn't sure. When Sabine was crying, he had known something was really wrong.

"Sit here, love." Hera sat down on a nearby bench, and Caleb crawled up to sit by her side, leaning into her for comfort. Zeb took a chair nearby.

Hera began slowly. It was important that Caleb know what to expect for the next few weeks. Lying about it would only cause him to sense something was wrong. Plus, since everything had started with Jedi training and Caleb finding out about his father, she'd learned a lesson. Problems were best faced head-on, instead of being hidden and denied. As he was so fond of telling her, Caleb was not a baby anymore. "Sweetheart. You know the Inquisitor hurt Ezra really badly. You saw the bandage on his eye?"

"Yeah," Caleb said, his forehead crinkling, "but he said it would be okay."

"I know. And it will be. But…I just want you to be prepared, Cale. Ezra's probably going to lose his sight in that eye. Like…like what happened to your father."

Caleb thought that must have been what the doctors were saying when they used the words "visual field" and "damaged structures." Sabine had said it. Ezra was going to be blind in that eye. "That's why Sabine, you and Zeb are so sad." Caleb said as tears began to trickle out of his own eyes. He took a deep, shuddering breath and leaned against his mom. He wanted Ezra to be okay so much. His mom gave him a hug and took his hand in her own.

"You're right," Hera admitted, "and It's okay to be sad. But we also have to be strong and help Ezra and Sabine get through this. We're a family, and that's what we do."

Caleb nodded and wiped his face. "Be strong. Okay, I can do that."

"We should probably go in and see Ezra now," Hera said. "Would you like to come?"

Caleb nodded.

* * *

One of the crew was by Ezra's side constantly for the next two days. Around dinnertime the first day, Kallus came by with Roxi Shan.

She looked pale when faced again with the entire _Ghost_ crew, including Chopper. She hovered at the door, looking uncomfortable.

Kallus came over to Ezra immediately. "Doing okay?" He asked.

Ezra nodded. "They're releasing me tomorrow," he said, his visible eye moving from Kallus to Roxi.

Kallus followed his gaze, then cleared his throat. "Miss Shan asked to come by and see everyone. Yesterday, I debriefed her about the Inquisitor, whose network was a lot larger than we initially thought. She has been very helpful with information about Lelan Tarek's operation."

Hera stood up and walked over. It would be easy to hate this woman, but according to both Sabine and Caleb, she'd actually had a change of heart and tried to help them escape. "Thank you for what you've done. Perhaps you can keep this from happening to some other family with…with a Force sensitive child-like Caleb."

Roxi nodded, slightly. "I just wish I'd done something sooner. I'm truly sorry."

Kallus spoke up. "I should let you know that Miss Shan has agreed to join my network of agents. She has extensive knowledge of the criminal underworld in the Vulpter system and several other sectors that Tarek was active in."

Hera nodded, and Kallus went on after a strangled protest by Roxi. "Miss Shan's father was a clone trooper. Her ideas of Jedi came…from a source of misinformation, shall we say." He met Ezra's gaze looking for understanding. "She actually thought they were going to be saving Caleb."

"Saving me from what?" Caleb murmured in his place by Ezra's bedside.

Ezra touched him on the shoulder and whispered, "Later," before ruffling his hair gently.

"Inspector Kallus…" Roxi began in a pained voice, then looked at everyone in the room. "There's no excuse for my behavior…I am so sorry. Please forgive me."

"There's no forgiveness needed." Ezra said, meeting her gaze.

"Thank you for trying to save us." Sabine added. "You risked everything."

"I will make this second chance worth something. Thank you…thank you all. I'll be outside, sir." She glanced up at Kallus as she turned to go. He placed a hand on her shoulder briefly before she left.

"You know, she's just as much a victim of the Empire as her father was." Ezra murmured to himself.

Kallus looked the way she had gone. "She reminds me a lot of me."

"If you take her under your wing, I am certain she will follow your good example," Hera said with a smile.

Kallus shook his head, "I'm not sure I'm the best role model, but I do know a bit about second chances." He smiled ruefully. "On another note, are you flying back to Lothal tomorrow? And if so, may I fly back with you to pick up my shuttle?"

"Of course." Hera said.

"Very well. I will see you all in the morning." Kallus said. "Please don't hesitate to comm if you need anything during the night."

* * *

Hera had been worried about returning home. The broken window, the blood and the destruction from the fight with Tarek and his men was bound to be an upsetting sight for Sabine and Caleb. But when they returned home, they found that their home had been cleaned and secured. The door contained a new security lock and the window was replaced with another transparisteel pane.

"The window—" Hera said to Zeb.

She looked over at Kallus who rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "I hope you don't mind…" he began. "I called in some favors…" he gestured toward the window.

"Alexsandr Kallus!" Hera raised an eyebrow as she turned to him. She let him sweat for a moment, then she threw an arm around him and hugged him. "Thank you."

"Oh…" he looked surprised and relieved at the same time. "You had me going there for a moment, Hera."

Zeb helped Ezra inside, but stopped briefly to ruffle Kallus's strawberry-blond hair with one of his paws. "Nice job, Agent Muttonchops."

Kallus smoothed his hair back down. "Not bad yourself, you overgrown Loth-cat."

"Hey!" Zeb's laughter shook the house as he helped Ezra inside.

Sabine led Caleb up to the door. Caleb paused, biting his bottom lip. The last time he'd been in here, the scary ex-Inquisitor had been here. He glanced up at Sabine and his mom. "Can't I just stay on the _Ghost_?" he asked, obviously nervous.

"Caleb." Sabine knelt beside him. "I know you're scared. Would it make you feel better to know I'm scared too, a little?"

Caleb nodded slowly. Sabine smiled in return. "But if we don't go back to our house…it's like Tarek wins. If we let fear determine our reactions, then we aren't in control anymore. Does that make sense?"

"Maybe." He shifted from foot to foot, looking up at her skeptically.

"Okay. Let's try this. Guys, can you go turn on all the lights in every room?"

Hera looked a little puzzled, but she nodded. "Of course." She and Kallus went in while Caleb, Sabine and Chopper stood outside.

"Okay," Hera called after a few moments.

Together Sabine and Caleb came into the house together, followed by Chopper. The Mandalorian held Caleb's hand as they went into the living room. "Looks like normal, right?" she asked.

Caleb nodded. "Yeah."

They moved into the dining area, then to the kitchen, then toward the back of the house. "Okay, so far?"

Caleb nodded.

She took him through the rest of the house, saving his bedroom for last. In each room, Caleb was reassured that no one was around, hiding in the closets or under the beds, and that their home was safe.

Finally, they reached Caleb's room, the first one off the hallway. "Okay. This is the hardest one." She said gently. She glanced up at Ezra and Hera, who stood right outside. "We fought the Inquisitor off in here. I told him to hide in the closet."

"I was really scared." Caleb added, his lekku twisting together in nervousness. He peeked into the room, then Sabine led him in.

He looked around. It was his room. His toys, his bed and everything else was in its place; the only thing missing were the ship models that had hung from the ceiling. "Oh, right. They're gone." He said softly. Caleb had loved the models; he'd put them together with help from Ezra and Zeb. Each model had been a type of ship that his mom had flown. He hadn't found a model for every ship yet, but it had been his aim to get them all.

"Your models." Sabine said, then glanced toward Hera, Ezra and Kallus to explain. "They…exploded when Caleb came out to face the ex-Inquisitor…I think it was something…maybe the Force…"

"Yeah." Ezra was all too aware of how it had happened. He'd rumbled a few things in the house too, when he'd found they were gone. "We'll get you some other ones," Ezra promised.

"I think I may be able to get you started…" Kallus said. "I'll meet you in the living area." He left the room, Zeb following.

Caleb looked around the room again, seeing the Inquisitor and his crew. He shuddered and drew close to his mom, leaning against her like a little Loth-kitten. "You okay?" she asked.

He nodded yes, but his eyes said no.

"Sweetheart. You can stay in my room tonight." He looked grateful as he nodded. "Let's go see what Alexsandr wants."

When they entered the living room again, Kallus gave Caleb a blue box tied with a dark blue ribbon. "I believe I promised you a present."

Caleb's eyes got huge. He opened the box and saw the orange and grey plasteel pieces of a model. There was a flimsi with instructions in the box, and when Caleb picked it up, his eyes got huge. "Woah! It's the Ghost!"

"It is. I had it made especially for you, for your birthday." Kallus said, looking to Hera. "It's been too long…I hadn't meant to miss so many birthdays." He looked back at Caleb. "And here you are so tall. You're growing like Loth-grass, kid."

"Thank you, Uncle Xandr!" He threw his arms around Kallus, who hugged him back.

"You're welcome kid."

* * *

As Kallus was leaving, he took Hera aside. "I have authorities on Vulpter combing the factory for his body," he spoke in a low voice, so as not to worry or upset the others. "As of yet, they have not found him, but they are still looking."

She nodded. "Keep me informed."

"I will certainly do so." Kallus promised. "Are you sure about coming back here so soon? If Tarek is out there…"

She didn't answer right away. They were walking outside, toward his shuttle, and she noticed Zeb, Ezra and Sabine staring at something far away. Zeb lifted Caleb up so he could see.

"What is it?" she called.

"A Loth-wolf. A large one." Ezra called.

As they approached, the wolf remained still. He was some ways away, sitting on a hill above the surrounding grasses. He swung his large head toward them, and then leaped into the grasses and was gone.

Hera smiled. "Alexsandr, actually, we're probably just as safe here as we would be anywhere else."

"What do you mean?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she said with a wry smile. "But, suffice it to say, Lothal is our home. I'm not leaving it."

Kallus nodded, putting his arms around her in a swift hug. He worried about them and decided that he would make a call to Ryder Azadi and insure that authorities on the planet would keep their eyes open for Tarek or his known associates.

"Thank you, Alexsandr, for everything."

He nodded. "I'll stay in touch." He turned to see Ezra, Sabine and the rest approaching. They said their goodbyes and Kallus left, with a promise to return much more frequently.

"Ezra, did you sense anything from the wolf?" Hera asked.

He shook his head as they followed Sabine, Zeb and Caleb to the house. "Just that they're keeping watch."

She raised one tattooed eyebrow. "For someone or something in particular?"

Ezra stopped walking and bowed his head. "I don't know. Calm and reassurance are all I can feel through the Force."

She nodded. "If it changes, let me know."

"I will," he promised.

She looked at his face, noticing the shadows that returning pain had etched into his face. "We need to get you to bed," she said, placing an arm around him and hugging him as they kept walking.

"I'm okay..."

"Don't make me put you back in a medcenter bed," she teased.

Ezra smiled and gave in, as always. "Yes, General Syndulla."

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N at end!

19.

Sabine looked up from her datapad to see that Ezra was back from his shower. His hair was still damp and he was already dressed in a pair of black sleep pants, so she knew he was tired and ready to sleep. He and Caleb had been outside earlier, doing some light sparring, for the first time since they'd returned home. Of course, they'd taken it easy and it had been an adjustment for Ezra after almost three weeks of recovery; he was still trying to get used to doing everything with one eye. However slow and careful in their movements, it had been good for all of them to see Master and Padawan working together again. Life seemed a little closer to normal.

Normal, back-to-business in their household was still some ways off, however. Caleb was still sleeping with his mom; tonight was the second night he was going to try and sleep in his own bed. They were just about three weeks out from the fight with the Inquisitor and the first time Hera had tried to put Caleb to bed in his room last week, he'd woken up shrieking from a nightmare that only Ezra had been able to soothe him out of. Ezra hoped that tonight would be different for the kid; they'd purposefully worked in meditation this week on letting go of fears. He'd also emphasized trying to draw on the Force for reassurance.

"You ready for me to take a look?" Sabine asked. The lightsaber wound on his chest had healed up enough to not need a bandage anymore, but there were still bandages on his face and eye that needed changing.

"Okay." He nodded, pulling on a black shirt, taking a seat on the bed and folding one leg underneath him. Sabine headed into the bathroom to wash her hands and grab the specialized bandages and the bacta kit that the hospital had given them.

When she came back, Ezra spoke. "You know, Sabine, I can do this…it's no—"

"Don't make me put you back in a medcenter bed," Sabine warned, pointing at him. Both she and Hera kept him in line with that threat in the first few days and it had become a sort of running joke between them all now.

Ezra grinned, snaking a hand around her waist. "I wouldn't mind it if you could come with me." Ezra didn't mind about the teasing, and if he was really, really honest with himself, he knew that he'd rather have them teasing him than crying about what happened.

"Flirt." She said, with a sidelong smile. She swatted his hand away, then sobered as she peeled back the bandage on his eye. He began watching her face closely for any reaction, just like he did every time she changed the bandages.

Most of his eye was a pale, milky blue, just like Kanan's had been. She could just see just a little crescent of his iris, where there was no scar tissue and it remained his normal, penetrating shade of blue. She wanted to ask him if he was able to see anything, but she was afraid of the answer, so she didn't dare bring it up yet. The doctors' prediction that he might recover some sight in that eye made her hopeful, but she tried not to get anyone else's hopes up.

"So, what's the prognosis, doctor?" Ezra asked, still watching her face for any sort of negative reaction. Since the accident, he'd been wondering if it was best, like Kanan had, to wear something over that eye, to keep other people from feeling sorry for him. He frowned, unused to being so self-conscious.

"I think we're at the point we might be able to leave off some of the bandages." She murmured. The burn on his face was healing up well with the specialized bandages they'd given them at discharge. The scar was minimal—instead of being shiny and raised, it was now a slightly discolored line that led up his cheek to his eye.

"Leave the bandages off? And scare the kid?" Ezra said in a tone of mock horror. She frowned at him, then he became more serious. "Really, though, it's pretty bad, right?" He asked her; his voice showing uncertainty and vulnerability. "I could hide it…"

"No," she shook her head. "It's not bad. Just different." She tucked his long hair behind his ear, feeling the scruff on his face as she ran her hand tenderly along his scarred cheek.

He didn't look convinced.

"You looked good out there with Cale today." Sabine said as she placed the cool gel along the line on his cheek. It bisected the parallel scars from his fight with the Grand Inquisitor from so long ago. He briefly remembered how proud he'd been of those first scars, thinking they would make him look more like a warrior and that he'd finally get a certain Mandalorian to take him seriously. The thought of that made him smirk.

"What?" she laughed, obviously curious to what had caused his expression.

"Just thinking about how stupid I was one time." He shook his head, and focused back onto the topic. Even though they'd taken it easy, getting back out for saber practice had felt good. It was meditative, and they'd been able to tap into their bond more deeply than ever before while working out. "I'm trying to tap into the Force like Kanan did, to make up for the vision loss, but it's hard. He never really showed me how, but I never really asked, either."

She nodded. Malachor had been tough on both Kanan and Ezra, and they'd both had their own problems after. "Didn't you or Kanan say there had been blind Jedi Masters back in the old days? Would there be any information in the holocron?"

"The holocron mentions different Jedi masters, even one blind Jedi who became a sabermaster, but there's no record of how they did what they did. Looks like I'm on my own."

"I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do...Let me know if this hurts." She began to put bacta in his eye with a gentle touch.

"It's okay." Ezra said, blinking once she dabbed the cold substance in his eye in order to spread it around. "Caleb sleeping in his own room tonight?"

Sabine nodded. "He's in there with Hera. He wanted you to tell him a story before he went to sleep, if you're not too tired."

"Oh." He shifted uneasily, glancing at the bandages she'd brought in, but he didn't reach for one yet. Caleb had only seen the bandages, not what was underneath. How would he react?

She could sense his trepidation. "Ezra…"

"What?"

She tilted her head at him, examining his face. "I probably don't need to say this, but you don't have to worry about all of us seeing the scars. We love you. As long as you're okay, we could care less about this…" She leaned in and placed a kiss on his scarred cheek. He brushed his fingers against her own before catching her hand in his. He tried to say something but it wouldn't come out.

"What?" She asked, sensing his hesitation.

"I…I just don't want the scars to be a daily reminder of…what you and Cale went through with Tarek," he murmured. It was the first time that he, himself had articulated what had been bothering him for weeks. "I don't want you or Caleb to see them and have to think-"

He didn't get to finish because she sat on the bed beside him, still holding onto his hands. "You listen to me, Ezra Bridger. Nothing about you will ever make me think of that Force-damned monster. Nothing." She untangled her hands from his and turned his face toward her. "The only thing I think of when I see this," she ran her fingers lightly down the side of his face, "is how thankful I am to have you."

He leaned his forehead against hers and they stared into each other's gaze for long moments. He didn't need the Force to see the truth of the words there. "I love you," he swore for what must have been the millionth time.

She stared into his eyes, both of them, knowing that she didn't have to say anything. He could feel her love, she knew. So, she replied with a quick smirk instead. "I know. It's understandable—I'm just so hard to resist. Now get in there and tell the kid a story before I have to put you back in a medcenter bed the hard way." She turned and began replacing the med supplies in the kit given to them by the hospital.

He got up, but turned back to wrap his arms around her and place a kiss on the back of her neck. She placed her hands on his arms and closed her eyes. "I love you, cyar'ika," she murmured.

* * *

Caleb snuggled up to Ezra, who was reclined on one elbow beside him on the bed. "Kid, I think that's enough stories for tonight." Hera had left them after the first one, knowing that the two needed some time alone. Upon seeing Ezra's face free of bandages, he'd sat up and stared deeply into Ezra's injured eye. Then he'd reached out to pull Ezra's face closer. "Does it still hurt?" he'd asked. After Ezra had reassured him that it didn't and he was okay, Caleb had nodded and settled back down in bed to listen to the two Lothian bedtime stories Ezra told. "Okay. Time for sleep, Padawan." Ezra reached out and smoothed the brown hair back from Caleb's forehead.

Caleb closed his eyes, but then opened them slowly, his brows knitted together in concentration. How many times had Ezra seen the same expression on Kanan's face? Too many to count. "Ezra…was...was my father a coward?"

He'd felt the entire time that Caleb was building up to something, but the question still surprised him. "No. What made you ask that?"

"I saw…a holo of him. He was…fighting troopers with Master Billaba when he was a kid."

Ezra was stricken. "Wh..where did you see this?"

"Th…the Inquisitor showed me." Caleb turned more completely so he could face Ezra and catch his gaze. "Ezra, he ran away. He left his Master and she died." Caleb's eyes were very wide and very blue-green as he regarded the Jedi. "Why did he leave her? I wouldn't never leave you like that."

Ezra shook his head. "It wasn't like that...Depa Billaba was trying to save Kanan. The troopers...there was something wrong with their minds so they turned on the same Jedi they were supposed to protect. He was a boy, a bit older than you are now, and she knew that they would both die if he stayed with her. So she ordered him to leave. He followed her order, the same way you would follow an order that I said was 'team business.'" He could feel Caleb putting everything together in his mind.

Caleb nodded slowly. "He felt…bad because he did what she said?"

Ezra nodded. "For a while, but he shouldn't have felt guilty. His Master loved him so much she did everything she could to save him." _It was the same gift Kanan gave me_ , Ezra thought, suddenly.

"Just like you would for me, and I…I would do for you."

Ezra nodded again, then leaned over to kiss Caleb on top of the head. The kid sighed heavily, relieved. Ezra could feel the tension ease out of him.

"I was scared." Caleb murmured. "I didn't want it to be true."

"It wasn't." Ezra assured him, tucking the boy into his embrace. "I promise."

"Double swear?" Caleb said.

"Triple swear." Ezra responded.

* * *

The same night, Ezra awoke to find himself standing out of the large plastisteel window that looked out on to the endless grassland. He hoped he hadn't woken anyone. Then he sensed Caleb on his left side. He turned his head to see the little boy staring out of the window as well.

"Ezra. The Loth-wolves!" Caleb was awake too, standing at his side and pointing out onto the moonlit prairie.

Ezra saw them. In a ring around the house, protecting it. Keeping watch in the night.

There were eight of them. Ezra heard a light scratching on the roof—it distinctly sounded like a wolf walking around up there. So nine in all.

"I see them." Ezra said, fastening Caleb's hand in his own. He brushed the river of the Force and tried to see if everything was safe around them. The Force flowed along easily and calmly, which did a lot to soothe his anxiety. "Let's go see what they want." They walked out on the porch, as Chopper warbled inquisitively behind them.

"It's okay, Chop." Ezra said absently. "We'll be back."

The wind was gentle as they stepped outside. The large wolves were lying down; two of them swung their heads to look at the two Jedi as they approached.

"Why are you here?" Caleb asked them.

"Try to listen with the Force," Ezra reminded him, closing his eyes and extending a hand. He soon felt Caleb fall into sync beside him, his Force signature glowing like a diamond.

"They're watching out for us," Caleb said softly.

"They're here to protect us."

"From what?" Caleb opened his eyes and met the golden eyes of the white wolf in front of him. While he'd been connecting with the Force it had risen and approached. It sniffed him for a moment, then licked the side of his face. Caleb giggled, then it bumped him with its muzzle.

"I think they're here to protect us from anything." Ezra answered Caleb's question, feeling the thrum of the Force more strongly around these creatures.

Caleb had reached out a hand and was petting the wolf gently. "Are they looking for…Tarek?" His eyes looked very large in the dark, and his sudden swift fear flowed to Ezra, so completely were they enmeshed with the Force.

"Yeah." Ezra nodded, coming over to kneel on the ground near them. "I think they're here to make us feel better…or safer, maybe," he corrected himself.

Caleb nodded, then threw his arms around the wolf and hugged it.

The wolf's golden eyes regarded Ezra with a keen intelligence, and he realized that this wolf was the one that had been injured. The newly healed scar was still visible on its muzzle. "Thank you," he murmured softly. He was pretty sure Kanan had some effect over these creatures, and if he could somehow feel their gratitude…Ezra wanted to express it.

The wolf's thoughts were very strong as it sniffed him. It snorted, and he could feel its warm breath in his hair. The wolf's nose moved down his face. When it was done, it nudged him gently.

 **BRIDGER** **HURT** , it thought at him. He felt the animal's sadness through the Force.

"Yeah." Ezra said, reaching out to rub it behind one large ear.

 **NO MORE** , it thought, swinging its head to look out in the night. Ezra could feel the animal's brave readiness, and he knew it would fight anything that came to harm them.

"Cale, this wolf fought the Inquisitor when he came to take you away from us." Ezra said. "He got hurt here." He pointed out the animal's mostly healed wounds.

Caleb's face became grave as he saw the pink twisted scars on the wolf. "Oh…" he whispered, patting the animal's side gently. "I'm sorry he hurt you too."

The wolf turned toward them again and looked into the boy's face.

 **PROTECT DUME** , it thought, bumping its muzzle against Caleb. **SAFE NOW**.

Ezra looked around at the other wolves. "Yeah, looks like he brought some friends this time."

They sat for a while, petting the wolf and talking until Caleb began to yawn and rub his eyes.

"I think it's time to hit the bed again," Ezra said.

"Nooo," Caleb shook his head. "He'll get lonely out here."

"Cale." Ezra stood and gestured. "He'll be fine. Come on."

The boy pouted for a moment, then stood. "Bye. Ezra, will they be here tomorrow?"

Ezra looked around at the wolves, sensing their commitment to this. The will driving them was strong and they would stay. "I'm pretty sure they're going to be here a while." He wasn't sure what was going to happen—if the Loth-wolves had come because of an impending threat or if the wolves had been drawn to the two of them due to their anxiety about the ex-Inquisitor's possible return.

As they walked back to the house, he wondered if there was a threat that he became aware of, should they leave or face it head on? It was an unsettling question that he realized he'd have to talk with the others about in the morning. The return of the Loth-wolves was both reassuring and disturbing at the same time. He followed Caleb into the house and settled Caleb back in bed before making his way to his own bedroom.

Sabine shifted in the bed and reached out a hand for him. "Ezra?"

"I'm here," he replied, taking her hand and holding it against his bare chest.

"Everything ok?"

"Yeah. Go back to sleep, Sabinika." He reached over and smoothed a thumb across her worried brow. "Everything's good."

* * *

The next morning, Hera and Zeb were up when Ezra and Sabine made their way into the kitchen.

"Good morning," Sabine murmured as she sank down in a chair at the table. Ezra had just poured Sabine and himself some caf when Hera spoke.

"There's been some news from Alexsandr. Maybe you should sit down."

Ezra slowly set Sabine's caf in front of her then set his own cup down.

"What?" Sabine said. "Hera, what is it?"

"Tarek's still out there," Ezra murmured, his gaze unfocused and far away. The Force seemed to rumble a warning, like distant thunder. "And he's coming back."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I think this next chapter will be the conclusion to this story. I'm glad you've stuck with me this long. I'm just bubbling with ideas for the next part of this saga, so this will not be the end. I'd love to hear what you think about this part. Hope you're having a wonderful Sunday!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Woah! This chapter was a BEAST! I literally completely rewrote it. I'm not 100% happy with it, but hopefully it will meet your approval. (I literally cannot look at it any more.) There is one more chapter left (I had so much to do, that I couldn't fit it all in one chapter...so you get another one!). Thanks for all the support. Literally, finishing this piece has so much to do with you and your comments that keep me motivated, my constant readers. I love you guys.

20.

No one asked how Ezra knew, they just trusted in his words. Hera confirmed that Alexsandr had gotten word from, of all sources, Roxi. Apparently the bounty hunter had insisted that her first job in the field be tracking the remnants of the Tarek's organization, and she'd called in with the information as soon as possible. There was a moment of quiet in the early morning as they allowed the information to sink in.

"I don't think we should leave." Ezra began slowly, turning to stare out the living room window at the Loth-wolves who still sat at the edges of the short grass around the house.

"Ezra…" Sabine began. "You know my family will put us up and keep Caleb safe. Then we can come back with a full complement of warriors to put an end to this monster once and for all."

Zeb gestured, frustrated as well. "I know how this sounds but Coruscant is also another option. Kallus offered to put us up until Tarek is captured."

It was ironic that the two warriors wanted to leave, but Ezra understood. They wanted to make sure Caleb was safe, at any cost. "And when will that happen?" Ezra said, looking over at the Lasat. "What do we do? Keep running for the rest of our lives?"

"That's no kind of life." Hera agreed, stepping forward. "This is home. We belong on Lothal. I'm not letting any karking lylek drive me from it. Not after all we've been through together. We are **not** running to hide in a hole somewhere. We can make our stand here."

"But you've got to think of Caleb…" Zeb began.

"I am, Zeb. Do I teach my child that he should run from things that scare him, or do I teach him that we stand up and fight, even though we're afraid?" She glanced to Sabine. "You know as well as I do, what we have to do. We've spent too much time hiding from what scares us." She looked out the window at the wolves that still ringed the house, hoping that Kanan had something to do with them. "Don't think the idea of staying doesn't scare me. A few months ago, I would have said differently…but now…"

Sabine looked to Zeb, then back to Hera. She had to admit that the Mandalorian inside of her thought Hera was right. Her family would have fought anyone trying to push them off their ancestral lands. Also, she hadn't followed Hera this far to give up now. "Okay. I see your point. Surely, though, there wouldn't be a problem with calling in a few favors for reinforcements, like my brother, Ryder or Alexsandr."

"Of course." Hera nodded. "Alexsandr's sending five agents."

"She had to talk him down from ten." Zeb said, smirking.

"Garazeb Orellios! The Office of the Inspector General is not our personal army. I felt bad enough accepting five…"

"Alexsandr'll be here in six hours." Zeb said as Hera made her way to the terminal and began to comm Ryder.

While they were speaking Ezra had turned toward the window, staring at the grassland beyond the plexisteel. He heard Hera making the call to Ryder, but her voice was far away, and the Force was edging it out for his attention.

"It's too late." Ezra murmured softly. His hand moved by his side and his saber jumped into it. He caressed its worn surface with his thumb, his eyes fixed outside the window.

"Ezra?" Sabine asked, coming to him. She fastened her hand in his, and his fingers were ice cold.

"He's here. I can sense it." He glanced at her with his half-blind gaze.

"How long do we have?" Sabine asked.

"Not long." Ezra turned and watched the wolves vanish into the long grasses. For a moment, he thought they were leaving, right here at the worst possible time, but he felt them, watching and waiting…lying low in the tall grass.

Hera had noticed the change in Ezra and Sabine. "Wait a second," she told Ryder. "Sabine, what's wrong?"

"Ezra says he's already here, Hera. Tell Ryder send what he can on the double."

"I heard." Ryder said on the comm. "We're on our way." He cut transmission.

"Should one of us take Cale and make a run for it?" Zeb asked, standing up.

Ezra turned to Zeb, shaking his head. "We have to stand together. Hera. Take Cale to my room and barricade the door—"

"No," she shook her head. "Like you said yourself, we stand together. You need me. Chopper can stay with Caleb."

Ezra thought a moment, then nodded. If Tarek breached the house, it wouldn't matter where Hera was. "Okay. Sabine…do we have grenades?"

"Does a wookie love a bo-caster?" Sabine answered.

_Force bless her_ , he thought, as he gave her an answering grin. "Bring what you can." Together, both she and Hera vanished into the back of the house. Zeb followed to get his bo-rifle.

Hera found her son sitting up in bed. He was still wearing his pajamas and holding Kanan's lightsaber. He was obviously scared. "Momma," he whispered, eyes glassy with fear. "What…what's wrong?"

She knelt and smoothed back his hair. Of course, he sensed something with the Force. "Caleb," she began, taking him in her arms. "I need you to hide in Ezra's room for just a little while. Chopper will be there to take care of you."

Caleb shook his head, groaning. "No…no…no," he wound his fingers into her shirt and buried his face against her neck, clinging to her like a lizard to a tree. "Is it **him**?" He asked, a tremor in his voice.

She didn't want to lie to him. "Yes, I'm afraid so. But we're all here and he's not going to take you away from us, I promise." She laid a hand on Caleb's cheek, tenderly, "You stay with Chopper. It's team business of the highest order, Spectre Seven."

He looked up at her with wet eyes. Then he nodded jerkily, wiping away tears.

They stood up and went to Ezra's room. "Don't come out for anything. Look at me." Her lekku were demanding his attention as he lifted his blue-green eyes to hers. "You are everything to me, Caleb. Be brave. I love you."

"I love you too…." He replied, burying his face against her side once more. He didn't want her to leave.

She hugged him and steeled herself. "Do what Chopper tells you and be as quiet as a Loth-rat," she said, then looked to Chopper. "You know what to do."

Chopper saluted with one of his manipulators. Hera had given him his directive on this a long time ago.

"Good," she leaned down and placed a kiss on Chopper's dome; then she leaned over and placed a kiss on Caleb's head, before stepping back. The door slid closed and she placed her hand on it. "Watch over him if you can, Kanan," she breathed.

Then she turned toward her room, grabbed her blaster and ran for the door.

* * *

Ezra stepped out onto the porch. There were dark clouds building, and the scent of petrichor that hinted of coming rain. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and trying to get a read on the Force. It was like a held breath before a blaster shot. They were on the edge of something, that was for sure.

He felt anxiety beginning to dig its claws into his chest and he struggled to breathe. He reached out for the Force, closing his eyes.

_I have to save them. They've given me so much. Hera, Zeb, Sabine…I owe them everything. I promised Kanan…I promised him I would watch over them. And Caleb…I have to protect him. I can't fail._

He opened his eyes to see the darkness of a looming ship, coming closer. The Force throbbed with withheld energy, and his chest ached with the tightness of his panic.

The ship was a cargo freighter, a fast one like the Ghost. He sensed Sabine beside him, even though he couldn't see her in his peripheral vision.

"I'm here," she said.

"Us too," Zeb said from behind them.

"They're going to land out at the edge of the yard," Ezra said. Zeb and Hera fanned out, hiding behind the columns on the front porch, while Ezra turned the bench over on its side. He and Sabine hunched behind it, waiting. It made more sense to be inside, but they didn't want to take the chance that Tarek's men would be able to get that close to Caleb. Ezra looked into Sabine's dark eyes as they leaned close enough for him to smell the soft herbal scent of the soap she used. "We can't let them get inside."

"They won't," she replied, with a grim smile.

As the first ship landed, Ezra saw that another ship about the size of the first Phantom accompanied it. Being more maneuverable, it made two or three runs across the yard, hitting the Ghost, and evoking a string of curses from Hera. Then it blew a hole in the left side of the house with a direct hit. Ezra said a silent prayer to the Force that it wasn't the same side of the house that Caleb was on. When it finally began to land, Sabine threw a few smoke grenades, then aimed her Westars and made her way to Hera and Zeb.

They all began to fire at the figures they could barely see through the smoke.

"How many?" Zeb yelled.

"Not sure!" Hera tried to estimate as they picked off targets through the smoke. "A lot!"

The problem was that the yard had no cover, except for the thick grey smoke. "Make your way into the grass…" Hera hissed, "we'll try and reach them that way.

Red blaster fire hit the house, streaking through the air around them. Ezra advanced, and began deflecting the shots with his blade. "Stay behind me," he said as he worked his way toward the high grass, feeling a strange expansion of his senses through the Force. He began guiding his blade so it could meet each blast, slipping more deeply into the Force-current. Sabine, the nearest to him, could sense the change in his focus from having fought with him for so many years.

They continued moving slowly forward, firing when they could, and staying safe behind Ezra's blade and his occasional Force-push when a combatant got too close.

The first one they ran into head-on was a droid, which Ezra slashed into two pieces with his lightsaber. The smoke grenades were trying to clear, and they saw somewhere around seven figures take shape.

Sabine fired at one of the figures with her Westars. The being fired back, almost simultaneously, but Ezra deflected the shot. As the smoke from the earlier grenades continued to shift, she saw the hints of movement in the long grass, but it was hard to read in the high winds. _They're going to hide in there and try to draw us in,_ she thought. But then, there was a sudden scream of agony, followed by another just as horrid.

Both Ezra and Sabine raised an eyebrow. Ezra turned toward the longer grass, sensing with the Force. The Wolves were hunting. He could feel the simplicity of their thoughts through the Force. _Defend. Guard. Protect Dume's pack._

Ezra gave his group the sign to fall back. The combatants they could see looked around uneasily as the screams went on. Through the grass, Sabine could see a Weequay on the ship's cargo ramp. The six others in front of them were a mix of races: a Nautolan, four humans and what might have been a red-skinned being with some sort of heavy gun, but it was hard to tell amidst the grass. Then one of them went down with a scream.

A nagging warning from the Force, like a tug on his elbow, made Ezra look around. Where was Tarek? He actually had expected, in grand Imperial style, that the ex-Inquisitor would come striding down the ramp to trade jibes and taunts as he threw everything he had at them. But this time, there was nothing. This was wrong, he thought, there was more here than he could see, but he couldn't detect the darksider through the Force.

His confusion increased as three more humans, none of them Tarek, approached from the other ship. There was no telling how many had slipped into cover in the grass, but these had decided on a more direct attack. Zeb was firing his bo-rifle at them, forcing them to run to the side of the bigger ship for cover.

As Ezra swung his head to the left, having to overcompensate to gain more of the view around him, he saw a blast of red light. Then Sabine stumbled, falling to her knees. It was then he realized what he'd missed, what they'd all missed.

Tarek was behind them—on the other side of the cleared area in front of the house. There seemed to be hostiles flanking them ahead and behind.

As he turned toward Sabine, he realized he had been a fool, allowing them to be drawn out from the house by what looked to be all of Tarek's force. There were so many men, and Imperials were usually so stupid, he hadn't figured on some advanced strategy.

As Sabine fell to one knee, Ezra stepped in front of her to shield her from any more attacks. "Sabine's hit!" he yelled to Zeb and Hera. Tarek started for the house, while the Weequay with him began to aim again.

Ezra reached down to brush Sabine's uninjured shoulder, keeping his saber upraised to deflect the Weequay's shots. She looked up at him, her brown eyes full of amber fire. "I'm okay—go." It was all Ezra had to hear before going to head off Tarek.

Zeb and Hera pulled in close, to form a protective shield around Sabine as she struggled to her feet. The cover fire they laid down was so intense that the mercenaries began to fall back for a moment. It was clear the mercs were unsure which way to go. There were horrible screams coming from the tall grass, and on the other side stood Zeb, Hera and Sabine, firing her Westar with her uninjured hand.

Then Loth-Wolves began a second attack on Tarek's men, specifically the ones that were closest to Zeb and Hera. Jaws bloody, the wolves would leap from one combatant to the next, loping along to snatch each of them up as they tried to run. The enemy tried to fire on the Loth-wolves, but Hera never saw one go down. When Hera paused in firing to look up at the ramp of the larger ship, she saw that the Weequay in charge was in the jaws of a Loth-wolf, who shook him and threw him into the wall of the cargo bay. It then stood on the cargo ramp, regarding Hera with an intelligence flickering in its golden eyes.

Near the house, the Inquisitor and Jedi faced off. Ezra was trying to angle himself to reach the entrance first and block it. Wisely, the Weequay did not fire, knowing that Ezra would simply deflect the bolt back at them.

"I said I would take your other eye, Bridger." The Inquisitor called, igniting his blade with the familiar snap-hiss sound.

Ezra felt a hot rush of hatred get away from him. "And I said if I die, you're coming with me, you karking son-of-a-bantha."

"Putting you down will be a pleasure." The Inquisitor advanced, with a slashing attack, which Ezra blocked.

The Inquisitor began a series of experimental thrusts, probing Ezra's left side, which the Jedi was straining to protect. He parried a bit late and earned himself another scar on his upper arm. He retreated a step, trying to gain his center and tap into the Force at a deeper level, but the pain made his grasp slip.

"Too slow, Jedi." Tarek's grin deepened. "I think I will carve you into pieces before I kill you. Then I will show the little one how weak his Master really is, so he will understand the true power of the dark side."

Ezra could feel his anxiety growing. If he died here, it would mean the rest of his family would die. Caleb hadn't had to describe the tortures he'd been through because Ezra had felt them, had sensed the sheer torment that this evil creature had put his Padawan through. And it would all happen again…with the ultimate goal of turning Caleb to the darkside. The thought made him sick; using his Jedi training was the only way he kept the nausea at bay.

They locked blades and the Inquisitor forced him back. Ezra stumbled, going down on one knee, then immediately he scrambled to his feet. His breath was harsh in the iron prison of his chest, until he heard a voice that took him back to the kid he'd been back when Kanan was first teaching him about the Force.

_Ezra. You're trying too hard. Allow it to surround you and flow through you, make yourself subject to its will. Only then will you be able to use the Force like a Jedi._

The words wrapped around him like a blanket as Ezra returned to a Form III stance.

_Ok_. He thought, opening himself to the Force. Surprised at how easy it truly was, he released his fear and anxiety into the warm Force tide. _I'm ready. Whatever is required, I'm ready,_ he thought as a flood of peace washed over him.

Tarek made three feints toward his blind side, which Ezra parried successfully.

Then, their bout began to move into a combination of Forms. Ezra found that, like Kanan, he favored Form III. It was a safe form and allowed him to defend for a prolonged period of time, until an opportunity to attack occurred. He scored a successful hit against Tarek, leaving a burn down his face and neck, but he didn't celebrate; he was too busy hanging on by his fingernails.

Growling in anger, Tarek threw him back against the house. Ezra's head hit hard and things went fuzzy as he struggled back to his feet, knowing that if he stayed down, it meant death.

Tarek was growling with pain as he resumed an offensive stance. Ezra could feel his black hatred and anger in the Force, building to an almost explosive level. He could sense that his Padawan, hidden in his room inside the house, felt the dark side as well. Caleb was afraid, crouched in a ball, his arms wrapped around his knees and his face buried against them.

Ezra channeled the light to his Padawan. _No fear, Cale._

He raised his gaze to the ex-Inquisitor. "You chose the wrong stage for your last stand, darksider. Lothal is _my_ home, and the light runs deep here." The bright current of the Force grew within him. He Force-shoved Tarek back at least fifteen feet. His Weequay companion tried to aim a shot at Ezra, believing he was too distracted to deflect it, but he was wrong. Ezra sent the red bolt back at the Weequay, hitting him in the chest. The being fell into the grass, groaning.

"You're a dead man, Bridger." Tarek said, calling forth the dark side as he rose. The ground seemed to shake and pebbles began to float as the energy field around them increased a hundredfold. Ezra could see the dark side sucking the life from Tarek, hollowing his eyes and paling his face until he resembled holos Ezra'd seen of the Emperor. Great power had a terrible cost.

The nimbus of the Force seemed to be on everything, as Ezra renewed his focus. The Force was coming from the very ground, the rich soil, the Loth-wolves, the air, the pending storm, flowing up through him. It pounded with his every heartbeat and flowed through his very veins. He took a sharp breath as the energy overwhelmed him.

_Let go, Ezra._

It was Kanan's voice, and Ezra obeyed instinctively. He would have followed Kanan into the nine Sith hells if Kanan had asked. His head felt as if it was about to explode, unable to contain such throbbing power, but instead of hiding from it, he took it in and accepted it completely. He gave himself up to it further—letting go and becoming a vessel for the Force—as he brought his blade to bear. The power erupted as their blades clashed; Ezra could feel the dark pushing against him and the light answering by pushing back just as hard. The loud clash of their blades could be heard across the grassland.

"DIE!" Tarek screamed at the penultimate moment before the Force erupted. There was a crack, like thunder, a Force-wave that swept each of them back about 20 feet. Ezra thudded against the house once again, and Tarek fell into the grassland.

Ezra was dazed, and his vision stayed blurry. He couldn't seem to make his muscles obey him, and this time, he stayed down. He watched Tarek stand and begin to approach him, his red blade ready.

Then—simultaneously-Ezra not only felt but saw the ripples in the Force that signified a familiar presence. A tall robed figure appeared behind him.

Tarek felt it too. "Another Jedi?" he spat, glancing to Ezra. "It matters little. I will kill both of you." Ezra's eyes, however, were fastened on the other figure, and he gave no sign he'd even heard Tarek's words.

It was Kanan. Even though Ezra couldn't see well, he knew the feeling of his Master's presence. After igniting a golden blade, Kanan moved into the opening stance of Form III, his blade held toward his enemy. Then he did something that was very Kanan; he motioned "come here" with two fingers of his outstretched hand. Even though Ezra's eyes were filled with tears, he couldn't help but smile at that.

That one motion, in itself, was adequate enough to bait Tarek to attack. He advanced while trying to keep Ezra in his vision in case this was a trick.

Tarek had time to make one slash at Kanan, which went right through with no effect, before the biggest Loth-wolf any of them had ever seen leaped from the grass. The wolf was a light gray, just about the same color as the robes Kanan was wearing, except for a strange patch of lighter fur on its forehead. It growled like thunder as it drove the ex-Inquisitor back. Whereas Kanan had seemed to be just an image, the Loth-wolf was very real. Kanan held out a hand and the Inquisitor's lightsaber flew from his grip as he backed away. It landed in the grass nearby.

The wolf made a snatch for the Inquisitor, sinking his teeth into the man's shoulder before the darksider slipped from his grasp. It then began to advance again, growling hungrily. Tarek actually leaped for the grass, intending to turn and fight under cover, but the Loth-wolf's hunting instinct kicked in and it chased him until neither of them could be seen. There were screams, Sith curses, and pleas, then nothing.

Ezra remained lying in a heap against the house, looking up with tears streaking his face. In the blink of an eye, Kanan was now standing in front of Ezra.

"Not bad, Padawan," Kanan removed his hood and knelt down to ease Ezra to a sitting position.

"Thanks. But…Sabine and Hera…Zeb…they're in danger." Ezra struggled to see them.

Kanan shook his head and glanced over his shoulder. Loth-wolves were stalking out of the grass, surrounding the enemies that the three were facing. "Not anymore, Ezra. It's okay."

Kanan reached out and placed his hand on Ezra's head, and the fog began to clear a bit. "By the right of the Council and the will of the Force, Ezra Bridger, you may now rise-a Knight of the Jedi Order."

Ezra searched Kanan's face. "Wh..what?"

"It means you're a Jedi Knight, Ezra. You passed the trials the Force has put in front of you." Kanan stood and helped his apprentice do the same. Then he set a hand on each shoulder. "I often worried that I wouldn't know enough to train you as well as you needed or deserved. But you already had everything you needed."

"Because of you," Ezra murmured, tears standing in his eyes.

Kanan shrugged. "Maybe, but maybe you saved me as much as I saved you." He then embraced Ezra. "The Force will be with you, Ezra. Always." There was a diffusion of light, and then he was gone.

* * *

While Ezra had been fighting the Inquisitor, Hera, Zeb and Sabine had been holding back Tarek's men. They had taken the remains of the YT-2400, with the help of the scarred Loth-wolf. If there was anyone else left inside, they were too scared of the animal to come out. Hera and Zeb had been using the ship as a shield as they fired from it at the last squad of soldiers, most of which had decided to exit the death stalking them in the long grass. Sabine had a Westar in her uninjured hand and placed her back against the wall, as the Loth-wolf stood sentinel. The bolt she'd taken had gone through something important because she could no longer use her arm, but at least it was semi-cauterized, which was keeping the blood loss down. She lifted the Westar and fired at a human who thought he'd surprise them by coming around the long way to attack from the other side.

Was Ezra alright? From her position, all she could see were flashes of green and red. She sent a silent prayer into the Force that he would be okay.

They were holding their own, until something shifted. All of a sudden, Loth-wolves began appearing out of the grass, as if they'd just materialized there. There were many more than the original nine. Some were white and grey, with a few black and brown ones. Growling, they ringed the enemy and snapped at them.

"Best throw your weapons out." Zeb said, keeping his blaster trained on them.

One of the humans decided to take a shot at a Loth-wolf and Zeb planted a blaster bolt right between the merc's eyes. "You better do what he says!" Hera called as the Loth-wolf growled at the rest of them.

Amazed, the soldiers gaped at the wolf, who had withstood a point-blank shot with no damage. The last five mercs quickly threw out four blaster pistols and a blaster rifle. "Look, we give up. We give up." One of the mercs, a tall black-haired man with a scruffy beard, threw up his hands. One of the wolves nipped at him and he let out a yelp. "Look, please don't let them eat us."

"That's not up to us," Hera said, "so I suggest you stay right where you are and not move." She looked over her shoulder to check on Ezra and saw something that made her breath stop.

"Kanan," she breathed. Sabine followed her gaze as she made her way down the ramp with the Loth-wolf at her side. Kanan had a hand on Ezra's head. Something, she wasn't sure what, was happening. Then Kanan brought Ezra to his full height and embraced him.

"What?" Zeb turned as well, just in time to see Kanan's shimmering form fade, leaving Ezra alone. Overwhelmed, Ezra slipped to his knees again, his head bowed. Zeb and Sabine started for him immediately, but something caught Hera and held her behind.

She felt a warm hand on her shoulder, then an arm wrapping around her. As she placed her hand over the spot on her shoulder, she could swear she felt the heaviness and warmth of Kanan's hand. She could even smell the warm scent of his skin. Then, as quickly as it began, it all faded away.

"Hera?" Zeb had turned when he realized she hadn't followed them.

"Yeah," she sniffled and wiped her face. "Kanan was here. But he's gone, now," she began to follow them. Tears slipped down her cheeks, mingling with the first few drops of rain.

Zeb held out his arms for the both of them. Together, the three began to walk toward Ezra.

"Hera…what about them?" Sabine looked over her shoulder at the five frightened men, who were still pinned in the circle of wolves.

"I don't think they're going anywhere," Hera said. She saw speeders in the distance. Ryder was almost here. "Right now, Ezra and Caleb need us."

 


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I have been working on a piece to be published in a Rebels Fanzine in the fall. I have been sitting on this for a while and have decided it's probably about as good as it's going to get.

 

* * *

21.

Ezra lifted his head when Hera, Sabine and Zeb returned. His gaze was bleary; he was bone-tired.

"Ezra?" Sabine said, seeing the burn along his upper arm. Her eyes were wide in the "Are you alright?"

He nodded. "Did you see him, or was it just…"

"I saw. We all saw." Sabine said. She reached down along with Zeb and they helped him to his feet.

"We need to make sure Caleb's okay, then I'm going to need to take a look at that," Ezra said, examining Sabine's shoulder.

"Zeb…can you meet with Ryder's men? Fill them in?" Hera asked as she watched the speeders begin to arrive.

"Got it." Zeb turned around and went out to meet them, as Hera, Sabine and Ezra entered the house.

The living area was damaged from the smaller ship's strike, but that was on the opposite side of the house from where they'd left Caleb. Sabine murmured that she was going to get the medkit.

They reached Ezra's room quickly and rapped on the door. "Chop, it's me," Ezra called.

The door slid open, and Chopper, warbling, rolled to the side and allowed them to come in.

Caleb's location wasn't readily apparent at first. In fact, Ezra found it hard to sense him at all. His Padawan was deeply hiding his signature in the Force.

"Where's my kid?" Hera asked, raising her eyebrow at Chopper. The droid chirped that Caleb was hiding in the closet.

She palmed open the closet and knelt, along with Ezra. She could see Caleb in the back of the closet, buried under a pile of blankets that Chopper had covered him with.

"Caleb? Everyone's safe, and you can come out now, little cub."

She saw the sudden gleam of his eyes in the dark. "Everyone's okay, Mama?" His voice was a barely-there whisper.

"Yes, sweetheart. Come on," she held out her arms and Caleb crawled into them. His eyelashes were wet with tears and his eyes were red as she gathered him close. A fresh set of sobs began as he took in Ezra's appearance.

"You and Sabine…got hurt…" he sobbed. "I was…I was…so scared…I thought…" he hiccupped as his tears took his words away.

Ezra reached out to wipe his tears away. "We got hurt a little, but it's okay, now." He began to use the Force to calm the boy. "You're tired. Why don't you close your eyes? When you wake up you'll feel much better."

"You're not going anywhere?" Caleb said as his sobs began to slow.

"No, kid. I'll be here when you wake up. Always." Ezra reached out and smoothed the boy's hair, watching the stiffness in his lekku slowly fade. It was a good sign that he was calming down, due in part to his mother's presence and the slow warmth of the Force that Ezra was wrapping him in.

"You're different," Caleb blinked slowly.

"Maybe." Hera looked surprised, but Ezra went on. "We'll talk more about that later. Rest, little kit." He tilted his head as he looked at the boy, who seemed like he'd drifted off until he sat up again with a realization.

"Zeb's okay too?" Caleb's blue-green eyes opened in worry.

"Yes, love. He's fine." Hera murmured into one of his pointed ears.

"Okay." Caleb began to ease back into sleep against his mother. Ezra continued smoothing the boy's brown hair, until he knew Caleb was securely slumbering.

"Ezra, whatever you did with him just now was amazing." Hera said. "You're so good with him. Being without Kanan these years…I don't know what I would have done without you." Her green eyes were glossy with unshed tears.

"I don't know if I'd have…gone on very well after Kanan died if I didn't have you, Sabine and Zeb to look after me." He thought for a moment. "Kanan said something…before he left. He said 'Maybe we saved each other.' Maybe that's the case with all of us."

Hera nodded solemnly, and they shared each other's gaze as Sabine entered.

"Ezra, c'mon. I need to take a look at your arm, and someone needs to take a look at my shoulder." Sabine held a medkit in her uninjured hand. As he turned, Zeb appeared behind her in the hallway.

"Ryder brought a medic. Come on." Zeb stepped past Sabine to help Ezra to his feet. Then he reached down for Caleb. The kit was getting almost too big for his mom to pick up, but he was still easy for Zeb. The little boy mumbled and twisted his fingers into Zeb's purple fur before falling asleep for good.

* * *

Ryder had moved to debriefing Sabine when Caleb awoke. Ezra, who'd been half asleep himself, got up and went to him. He sat beside his Padawan, who now sat up blinking and looking around with wide eyes at Ryder and his soldiers like a newborn baby nerf.

"You okay?" Ezra said, taking a seat beside the bewildered little boy.

"Who are they?" Caleb asked, looking over at one of the men who resembled Ezra a little. He was a native of Lothal, with dark hair and dark eyes, and he was standing by the front door, taking his job very seriously.

"They're soldiers of Lothal." Ezra said. "They came to help us when they found out Tarek was on the way. They were just…a little bit late, so we had to take care of things before they got here."

"Wh…where's my mama?"

Ezra nodded toward one of the larger armchairs, where Hera was curled up sleeping. She had her head pillowed on her arm and her feet tucked under her. She looked at ease for the first time since Tarek had taken Caleb and Sabine.

"I felt you and Sabine get hurt."

"Yeah." Ezra pulled up his sleeve and showed Caleb his bandaged arm. "But we're okay. Just another wizard scar to add to my collection."

Caleb reached out and latched onto Ezra's arm. "I don't want you to have any more scars, Ezra."

"I'm okay, kit. Really." Ezra's multi-colored blue gaze fixed on Caleb. "You don't have to worry about me."

"I hope I can be brave as you one day."

Ezra put an arm around Caleb and pulled him in. "You already are, kid."

Caleb snuggled up against Ezra's chest. "Do you think my father would say that?"

"Yes." Ezra leaned down and kissed the top of Caleb's head and hugged him close. "Without a doubt." The Jedi thought about the child he held in his arms and knew that one day he'd have to let him go. When it was time, he knew he'd be able to, but thankfully, that day was not today.

* * *

It had been three weeks since the battle with the ex-Inquisitor, and slowly, they were all healing, physically and mentally. Caleb's nightmares had gone from every other night to once a week, if that often. Ezra had been working with Caleb on meditation; in fact, it was the only thing they'd done since before Tarek had returned.

"It's good that they have each other," Sabine murmured. It was late afternoon and she was leaning against the door frame. Hera and Zeb were sitting on the front bench.

Zeb cracked open an eye. He was leaning back against the house with his hands locked behind his head. "What do you mean?"

Sabine turned more toward Zeb and Hera. "I don't know exactly how to explain it. Before…before Caleb was old enough to understand what the Force was, it was different. Ezra was alone. He had us, of course, but losing Kanan…." She trailed off, shaking her head. "I can't explain it, but now…he's found his balance again." As she spoke, she was gazing at the two Jedi who were meditating in the grass, but then she looked up to see Zeb and Hera looking at her. She blushed self-consciously.

"I see it, too, Sabine." Hera replied, shifting her gaze to the two. As she watched, she saw another stone levitate into the air and hang there impossibly with the others. There were probably about twenty-five rocks of all various sizes lazily orbiting the two Jedi. Three more Loth-cats joined the two who had already gathered. One of the tookas hissed and growled as it was also lifted into the air by the Force.

As the struggling tooka wiggled its legs and tail, a giggle broke forth from Caleb as he opened his eyes. Then half the rocks tumbled out of the air at the same time. "Awww," he pouted.

"You lost focus." Ezra murmured, setting the Loth-cat down and opening his eyes to regard his Padawan. "There may be times where you need to be able to focus on multiple things at once, so we will keep practicing until you completely have it, kid."

The previously floating Loth-cat leaped into Ezra's lap and curled up in it. His hand went reflexively to petting it as the rocks he still controlled twirled lazily about him. They began floating down toward the ground, forming a rough pyramid in front of Caleb. "It's all about concentration."

Caleb nodded. "I can try again," he offered as the last rock came to rest on the top of the pyramid.

Ezra shook his head. "Not now. You're tired and need a break."

He protested, but Ezra raised an eyebrow. "I can feel you're tired," he said, "So go do something else for a while. The world is not just meditation and saber practice, okay? See if Zeb's ready to change out the ventilation filters on the _Ghost_. Maybe you can help him."

"Just about to get to it." Zeb said as Caleb ran over to him and threw his arms around Zeb's waist. "I was just waitin' on you to finish, kit."

Hera joined them and they made their way to the _Ghost,_ Caleb chattering the entire time. Sabine came to Ezra, who was still holding the orange and white tooka in his arms and watching Caleb fondly.

"You're a good teacher," Sabine said, lowering herself to the grass.

"He's an easy student."

Sabine settled next to **Ezra.** Facing his greatest fear, his conversation with Kanan and being knighted by the Force had changed him. A sort of peace had fallen over Ezra; he hadn't had a panic attack in a long time, and she wasn't sure he'd ever have another one. The thought made her smile.

"What?" Ezra asked at her broad smile, reaching out an arm for her.

"Nothing." She relaxed into his embrace, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Okay." He shook his head, pulling her against him. They stayed that way a long time, until Hera, Zeb and Caleb made their way back in the early evening twilight, and they all went inside together.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, you know what sucks? I'm not good at endings, then I lost the ending to this, and I had to rewrite it. I wish you could have seen the first version, but oh well. :( Talk to you guys soon!

**Author's Note:**

> I notice Hera handled the loss of Kanan a lot better on the show than I imagined her doing here, and I'm glad for it (it really helped me). The reason I wrote this was to try and cope with the idea that we were losing Kanan...and it really did help. I took it a lot better than I thought. :)
> 
> I will post the rest of what I've written (there are 14 chapters) over the next week or two, but if you're impatient, drop over to fanfiction.net and drop me a line. I'd love to hear from you here or there!


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